Drama, Thriller and Comedy as a Repertory Theatre returns to Lyme Regis this summer.

Gilroy Theatre will present three full-length plays, with the season beginning on Thursday, August 1.

There will be a new play opening every Thursday, until Tuesday, August 20.

The ‘Summer Season of Plays’ will see classic performances such as Patrick Hamilton’s ‘Gaslight’, a timeless Victorian thriller that muses on the concept of 'gaslighting’- a term popular today, making it a timely psychological drama.

The next play is from the critically acclaimed playwright, Alan Ayckbourn, and his farce 'Taking Steps', which will lead viewers into hilarious confusion as the play explores mistaken identities and blundered letters.

Made famous by Alfred Hitchcock, the season finale will be Frederick Knott’s ‘Dial "M" for Murder’.

The play poses the question ‘can you ever get away with the perfect crime’, and is promised to keep viewers on the edge of their seats.

Su Gilroy, the founder of Gilroy Theatre, brings to the table over three and half decades of experience in the theatre industry.

She says: "Having researched rep, seen what it was like in its heyday and how important it was to its community, I wanted to take the best bits of rep as it was, and bring them into the twenty-first century."

The emphasis is not solely on the plays, but also on the unique camaraderie and bond between the team and the community.

Many known actors like Judi Dench, Ian McKellen, Patricia Hodge, Hugh Bonneville and Brian Blessed have cherished their time in rep theatre, and now express their regret in the lack of it.

For many of them, it was an invaluable stepping stone, somewhere they could learn their craft while being supported, and an opportunity to foster a sense of community.

The other "community" that’s important to rep theatre is that of the town in which it’s based.

If people become regulars, they will get to know the company of the actors.

Ms Gilroy says: "I want the audience to have a sense of ownership of the season.

"After all, we’re doing it for them – theatre without an audience isn’t theatre."

It is hoped that the plays will be visited by residents as well as August holidaymakers.

Plays with a mass appeal have been chosen to offer visitors a chance to watch two plays during their week-long stay in the town, making it a tempting offer to tourists.

Ms Gilroy's reason for the community to attend the plays echoes a primitive and universal human instinct: "Story-telling".

She believes that stories being an essential part of human culture, help people understand our world.

Referencing the impactful ITV series ‘Mr Bates vs The Post Office’, she says: "Story-telling is one of the oldest traits of humanity – it’s something we’ve always done.

"Stories are how we understand the world around us."

So, this August, she encourages people to visit the Marine Theatre and enjoy unique storytelling experiences.