A MONMOUTH family will experience a unique trip to the theatre thanks to a collaboration between Oddsocks Productions and Home-Start Monmouthshire.

As part of touring theatre company Oddsocks engagement scheme, "Open Doors", the local family, supported by Home-Start Monmouthshire, will have an exclusive tour of the stage, meet the cast of Oddsocks' summer Shakespeare tour and receive signed merchandise before sitting down to enjoy the show.

Home-Start Monmouthshire is a family support charity. It recruits and trains volunteers to offer emotional and practical support to families in their own homes.

Support can be for a range of reasons, including poverty, isolation, poor mental health and illness and disability.

Oddsocks re-imagine classic texts for modern audiences and are touring this summer, with Twelfth Night and Much Ado About Nothing.

They've performed to families for more than two decades and get children involved with live theatre, creating an enjoyable shared family experience.

Shakespeare is inherent to English theatre culture and they are delighted to introduce the play to this family.

Hope Ward-Brown, young producer at Oddsocks said: "We are overjoyed to be continuing our collaboration with Home-Start during this tour.

"Meeting and providing these incredible families with a night of good fun is a joy for us. To be able to help and support Home-Start in any way we can is a real privilege."

Life is tough for British families at the moment, with less disposable income than ever before. Parents have to make tough decisions about priorities, and taking their child to the theatre is not seen as a necessity.

Hope said: "We are delighted to be able to offer this free, access-all-areas experience for a Home-Start family.

"We hope by providing this opportunity to a family who wouldn't ordinarily access theatre, it will create a lasting memory for both parents and children alike."

Twelfth Night will be at Chepstow Castle on Saturday 27th June and Much Ado is the following night.

For more information, visit http://www.oddsocks.co.uk">www.oddsocks.co.uk or call 01332 258328.