A CAPTIVATING love story promises to bewitch the audience.

‘The River’ by Jez Butterworth opens at The Green Room Theatre in Wilmslow on Saturday, January 21.

Set in a remote cabin belonging to a dedicated fisherman, this dark, mysterious drama is full of twists and turns.

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The angler invites his new love to share his passion and excitement for catching sea trout.

The couple come together on a mysterious moonless night, a once-a-year occurrence when folklore has it that this particular species of fish can be caught in abundance.

The play is described as intimate and surprising, ideally suited to the close confines of this studio venue.

As the drama unfolds, the audience is left puzzling about what they are actually watching.

Is it a parable, a gothic thriller or a ghost story?

Jez Butterworth is probably best known for his smash hit play ‘Jerusalem’ which received rave reviews after it opened at The Royal Court Theatre in 2009, starring Mark Rylance as Johnny ‘Rooster’ Byron.

The play has since been hailed as ‘the greatest British play of the 21st century’.

Director Mike Rogerson said: “Jez Butterworth’s plays are infused with beautiful, poetic images.

“In The River, he has created a bewitching story which keeps the audience on tenterhooks.

"The fisherman’s love affair with the secretive trout who elude him is likened to the elusive and transitory nature of human love.”

The tale twists and turns from one reality to another.

At the very moment the audience think they have grasped and understood the man and the woman’s love affair, it's all pulled from their grasp as one reality evaporates and another, even more seductive and mysterious one takes its place.

The play will be performed at 7.45pm every evening from Saturday, January 21 to Saturday, January 28, when there is also a matinee at 2.30pm.

Tickets cost £10 for members and £12 for visitors.

To book visit greenroomwilmslow.org.uk or call the ticket line on 01625 540933.

The box office is open on Saturday, January 21 from 11am to 12 noon.

This amateur production of ‘The River’ is presented by arrangement with Nick Hearn books.

For more details about The Green Room Theatre email mail@greenroomwilmslow.org.uk