EMERGING theatre companies are flocking to Thirsk to perform as part of a scheme to help new talent flourish.

Four emerging performing arts companies from across the UK are set to perform new works next week at The Courthouse in Thirsk, home to arts charity Rural Arts.

Read more: The secondary school named the best performing right across whole of Yorkshire

The performers were selected through a call-out as part of the charity’s artist development scheme Flourish, which gives them the opportunity to perform a work-in-progress piece in front of a live audience.

The scheme focuses on showcasing work by under-represented artists and companies in North Yorkshire as well as nationally.

It also offers networking, mentoring, training and commission opportunities and helps keep performing artists connected and supported.

Max May, director and CEO at Rural Arts, said: “We’re thrilled to be supporting four emerging performance companies via our Flourish scratch performance. "Flourish is all about supporting performance makers from North Yorkshire and beyond to grow and develop new work.

"We were blown away by the quality and range of applications we received, and invite you to join us on Saturday, December 11.

"It’s pay what you can – so absolutely no risk on taking a punt on a new show!”

The four companies will showcase a diverse range of performance mediums as well as themes.

ACCA Dance will present Occupational Hazard, a dance duet between air hostesses, whose normal workday is taken over by a strange rigidity that makes it harder and harder to keep smiling.

Paper Theatre by Eve Sheridan shares a series of shadow theatre vignettes, in which a young girl explores the world around her, and meets some unusual characters.

Read more: Dangerous driver took police on 30-mile chase reaching speeds of 90mph

From Joy Cruickshank comes How To Be a Hot Mess (or How To Live In Your Twenties), a fast-paced show that blurs stand up, spoken word, drag and theatre. Finally, Julie by Abey Bradbury is a musical retelling of the life of Julie D’Aubingy’s life, a 17th Century Opera Singer, who was also famous for being an excellent swordswoman and one of the first public figures to live openly as a bisexual woman.

The 'Scratch Night' takes place on Saturday, December 11 at 7.30pm at The Courthouse, Rural Arts, Westgate.

Tickets are pay what you can and more information is available on the website.

Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

You can also follow our dedicated North Yorkshire Facebook page for all the latest in the area by clicking here.

For all the top news updates from right across the region straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.

Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on newsdesk@nne.co.uk or contact 01325 505054