Written by Harold Brighouse, the play is set in Victorian Salford at the premises of bootmaker Henry Horatio Hobson.

Thespians' press officer Geoff Green says: "Hobson's Choice is a perennial favourite with the theatre-going public.

"The play was originally set during the First World War when Brighouse wrote it. However, because of hostilities, he felt compelled to change the action of the play to 1880.

"Hobson's Choice has been filmed several times, first as a silent in 1920 followed by a sound version in 1931. Perhaps the most famous was directed by David Lean in 1954 with Charles Laughton as Hobson and John Mills as Willie Mossop.

"The play was originally performed in London in 1916 at the Apollo Theatre before being transferred to the Prince of Wales Theatre later that year.

"For our present production, director Ian Stead has assembled a strong cast to delight audiences with this well-loved play."

Derek Smith plays the curmudgeonly self-made Hobson while his formidable daughter Maggie is played by Diane Sibley. Andrew Moger plays the browbeaten bootmaker Willie Mossop.

Other parts are played by Kerry-Anne Fennelly, Kristina Boothroyd, Simon Reece, Pauline Robinson, Ian Francis, Alan Cunnington, Dorothea Annison, Alec Gladok and Matthew Coates. The production is staged tomorrow at The Playhouse, King Cross Street, Halifax (7.30pm).

There is no show on Sunday but the production resumes on Monday evening and runs until Saturday, when there is also a 2.30pm matinee.