A charming story about choosing priorities in an overwhelming world is coming to town.

The Duke will be performed at The Lyric in Bridport on Thursday, May 10.

In 2016, Shôn Dale-Jones of Hoipolloi theatre company premiered a ground-breaking solo show called The Duke, which has so far raised a mammoth £47,000 for Save the Children’s Child Refugee Crisis Appeal in the first year of touring and set Hoipolloi on the beginning of a journey to create theatre work that raises money and profile for charitable causes.

The Duke proved to be a smash hit in Edinburgh over the last two years and with audiences throughout the UK.

Funny, poignant and playful, The Duke weaves together the tragi-comic fate of a family heirloom - a porcelain figure of The Duke of Wellington, the quandary of a scriptwriter stretching his integrity, and an unfolding disaster as thousands of children flee their homes.

From the writer/performer behind Hugh Hughes (Story of a Rabbit, 360, The Wonderful World of Hugh Hughes), The Duke is a funny and poignant show that mixes fantasy and reality, playfully challenging our priorities.

The Duke was presented with The Scotsman’s Fringe First Award following its premiere at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2016 and was commissioned in to a radio play by the BBC, featuring recently as the ‘Play of the Week’ for BBC Radio 4.

Shon said: “In 1974 my father invested £750 (£8,100 in today’s money) in a Royal Worcester porcelain figure of The Duke of Wellington on horseback - made to celebrate his victory over Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo. He kept the figure we affectionately called The Duke, wrapped in sponge, in a big box, under his bed. After he died in 2001, my mother decided to take the figure out and display it on the table in the bay window. Since 2005 I've been working on a film script, which is in the very final stages of development. In the autumn of 2015 I sit at my desk waiting for an email that will tell me what I need to do to the script to get it onto the screen. I turn the radio on. I listen to a report about the refugee crisis. My mother calls. She tells me she’s broken The Duke. My mother, my film script and the refugee crisis all need my attention.”

In 2018, it may feel like the refugee crisis has disappeared, with less media reporting and stories of war. And yet, destruction across the globe continues and many of those that left their homes during the crisis find themselves homelessness across Europe. For this tour, audiences will be asked to buy a ticket and bring some cash to the show to support Save the Children’s Emergency Fund, supporting children who face crisis across the globe, including those who still attempt the dangerous crossing of the Mediterranean. Shon’s aim is to raise £50K on this tour.

Shôn said: “I made The Duke back in 2016 because I wanted to find a way of doing something practical about the refugees' crisis. I couldn’t watch more images of the terrifying reality that these people are suffering without contributing towards the relief effort. I’m not a doctor or an engineer - I’m a writer/performer - and so I decided I could write a show which connects us to the crisis and raises money to support Save The Children’s work. I have been massively inspired by the support offered by theatres, presenters and audiences thus far and I am thrilled to be touring The Duke again and raising money and awareness for Save the Children’s emergency fund.”

This is a co-presentation with Activate Performing Arts, supported through funding from The Garrick Charitable Trust.

*The Duke, The Lyric Theatre, Bridport, Thursday, May 10, 8pm.

Tickets are £12 (£5 for ages 12-18), available from Bridport Tourist Information Centre or from bridportandwestbay.co.uk/shop and BearKat Cafe. Doors and bar open at 7.30pm for a prompt 8pm start.