PREHISTORIC monsters and ape-men will be battling it out on stage as part of a new production by a touring theatre group.

North Country Theatre will take audiences in County Durham back in time when they perform their production of Conan Doyle's classic tale The Lost World.

The spoof play will feature dinosaurs and cavemen alongside mad professors who manage to revisit the prehistoric age.

Director Nobby Dimon said: "Our new version has evolved from the original story, but still contains some classic prehistoric jokes.

"You may have seen Spielberg's Jurassic Park, or the BBC's Walking with Dinosaurs, but audiences certainly won't have seen anything quite like North Country Theatre's unique version of The Lost World."

The theatre company will be performing the play at Bowes and Gilmonby Parish Hall, at 3pm, on Saturday, and at Hamsterley Village Hall, at 7.30pm, on January 6.

For more information on the performances, call (01833) 628373, or (01388) 488323