ALLOA’S Alman Drama Club is preparing for the opener of its latest production which promises laughter and tears.

The group will bring Halcyon Days to the Coach House Theatre, said to be a powerfully-moving play set in a nursing home in those heady pre-Covid days.

Written by the acclaimed Irish playwright Deirdre Kinahan, it proved to be a hit at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2013, winning a Fringe First Award in the company of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag.

Directed by Jim Allan, this production careers between poignant intimacy and hilarious observations, with Jim describing the play as “a wary friendship, sometimes funny, sometimes charming and often combative”.

The story revolves around the two main characters Sean, a longer-term resident, and Patricia, who has recently arrived.

The challenging role of wheelchair-bound Sean is undertaken by George Markinciewitz, in a part which demands great subtlety.

He is joined by Cath Chadwick as Patricia, whose aim is to liven things up.

The set, always a feature of Alman productions, has been designed and constructed by a team, led by the master of stage sets Walter Awlson, and built by Davie Dobbie, Jim Allan, Walter himself and Clare Jackman.

Sound and lighting will be the responsibility of Ross Carpenter, while the stage manager is Brian Tripney and prompt is Moira Walker.

Gerry Docherty, chair of Alman Drama Club, said: “The management committee has tried to ensure that our members and patrons have a choice of being in a smaller or larger audience.”

Performances will take place on Friday, May 6, at 8pm with a maximum of 60 seats available.

There will be a matinee performance on Saturday, May 7, at 2.30pm with just 40 seats available for those who are concerned about overcrowding.

A performance on Sunday, May 8, at 8pm will have 60 tickets available while the Monday, May 9, performance, also at 8pm, will be reduced to 40 tickets once again.

The play will then end with performances on Tuesday, May 10, and Wednesday, May 11, both at 8pm and with full houses.

There will be one interval with refreshments available downstairs.

Tickets cost £10 and are on sale now. Visit thealman.com for more information.