TWO young actors who found themselves furloughed and with no prospect of work because of the pandemic have founded their own theatre company – and they’re bringing their socially-distanced production on tour to South East Cornwall.

“Hellish”, based on a Cornish folk tale, sees God and the Devil gambling, singing and cavorting their way through heaven and hell and is described as a “rip roaring, irreverent and wickedly funny show”.

Actors Laurence Pears, from Tywardreath, and Darren Seed, from St Austell, decided to start up their company Jam First Theatre having been out of work since lockdown began.

The pair have an impressive array of West End and Broadway shows between them: just before the pandemic, Laurence was just about to appear as the lead role in the West End show “When Magic Goes Wrong”.

Darren, meanwhile, had most recently appeared in the Olivier-nominated musical family show “Oi Frog” at the Lyric Theatre, and was working as an acting coach on the BBC’s “His Dark Materials”.

As the lights went down in theatres across the UK, the two friends realised that to perform again anytime soon, they’d have to take the plunge themselves – and so they returned home to set up a company in Cornwall, where friends and family could be leaned upon to help out with finding venues, props, and stewarding. With a natural leaning to comedy, Laurence and Darren have applied their writing skills to a clever script which had some of the first audiences “laughing out loud, despite sitting on hay bales being lashed by the rain”.

They’ve had sold-out shows further west in Cornwall and are now bringing Hellish to the following locations: Fri, Oct 30, Lostwithiel Community Centre 7.30pm; Fri, Nov 6, Liskeard Public Hall 7.30pm; Sat, Nov 7, Callington Prim RAF Theatre 3pm and 6.30pm; Sat, Nov 14, Launceston Town Hall 7.30pm; Sat, Nov 21, Bodmin Keep 7.30pm.

To book a ticket look for Jam First Theatre on Facebook or contact the individual venues.