With the fund-raising summer festival at the Merlin well underway, Frome welcomes one of its very own for the next 'curtain up'.

'The Holland Handkerchief', an original piece of theatre, is brought to ECOS this Thursday by a young woman whose early talent was nurtured and honed at the Merlin Theatre itself. Maddy Herbert whose first experiences of treading the boards were in Frome, is delighted to return with her company, Kerchief, including mesmeric music from folk duo Faron and Merle.

As a youngster, Maddy played lead roles at the Merlin, such as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz and Peter in Peter Pan and took part in many productions including The Snow Queen, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Fame. She also became a valuable volunteer in the office at the theatre during her school lunch breaks while studying at Frome College, running the refreshment ordering and doing Box Office shifts.

Maddy says "It has been wonderful to come back to Frome and work professionally in theatre having learnt so much about the industry from the Merlin. I feel so grateful to have grown up in Frome and for the support I received here, as a young person interested in a career in the arts. Without that, I don't know if I would have had the confidence to start Kerchief at all."

Maddy went on from Frome College to study languages at Oxford University but always continuing her involvement in theatre, starting to direct as well as act. Having nurtured her artistically as a teenager, Frome's Merlin theatre welcomed her back to work as a freelance Assistant Producer as well as leading their Youth Theatre workshops.

In 2019 Maddy set up theatre company Kerchief, directing and collaboratively devising The Holland Handkerchief, a reworking of a traditional folk story with new writing and music. She found local artists to co-create and devise the piece with, including folk sister duo Faron and Merle who will play live for this week's show.

The Holland Handkerchief will be on 20th August at 7pm as part of the Merlin's socially-distanced friendly, fund-raising summer programme.

Tickets for this, and all upcoming shows including Rocktopus, Illyria's two children's/family shows, Martin Dimery's 'Shakespeare Rattle and Roll' and Folksy Theatre's 'The Taming of the Shrew' can be purchased at merlintheatre.co.uk

the You Tube link

To ensure safe distancing and limited audience numbers all tickets must be booked in advance of all shows www.merlintheatre.co.uk