A musical theatre production reimagining the story of The Pied Piper of Hamelin will be performed at the Lyric Theatre, Bridport, on Saturday, March 7.

The brainchild of multi-instrumentalist and theatre maker Louis Gulliver King, RAT recreates the classic tale using live music and shadow puppetry. Based in the south west of England, Louis is a musician and theatre maker who has played in bands, accompanied theatre shows and toured extensively across the UK and internationally.

RAT has been two years in production, during which time Louis has brought together a multi-faceted band of musicians, producers and visual artists under the name of The Rat Affair. RAT is their debut project and follows a curious man who offers to rid a corrupt town in crisis by driving its vermin infestation away.

By removing speech from the narrative and instead presenting a spectacle of light and sound, the show questions the very nature of contemporary storytelling.

Mike Shepherd, of Cornwall-based Kneehigh Theatre, commented: "RAT is full of fiercely beautiful imagery alongside extraordinary music and a biting political comment."

The music of RAT plays with the traditions of folklore and storytelling, shifting between Easter European folk and reflective piano works. The songs mostly focus on the hypnotic tenor sounds of saxophonist Joe Carey, which are underpinned by the band who recently performed a preview show to a packed out crowd at the Tolmen Centre in Constantine, Cornwall.

Accompanying the music is the imagery and shadow puppetry designed by Ailsa Dalling.

Suitable for audiences aged 10 and above, the performance of RAT at the Lyric begins at 8pm. Tickets are £12 or £5 for under-18s, available from the venue website, from Bridport TIC or on the door if available.