WHAT DOES a young boy have to do to escape his tedious lifestyle on a remote island off the coast of Ireland?

In its latest production Keighley Playhouse reveals one boy’s dream of getting out involves becoming a big Hollywood star.

News reaches the island of Inishmaan that an American film director is coming to the neighbouring island of Inishmore to shoot a documentary.

The one person who wants to be in the film more than anybody else in the whole world is young Billy – or ‘Cripple Billy’ as he is known by the townsfolk.

The Cripple Of Inishmaan is set during the 1930s and is a character-driven emotional comedy billed as a hilarious, dark drama.

Director Nikki Barrett said: “The locals don’t expect Billy to rise to anything in life other than what he is and whose chief occupation is gazing at cows while yearning for a girl who wants no part of him.

“This leaves Billy even more determined to find a way out from his mundane existence by crossing the sea, auditioning for a part in the film which will hopefully propel him to international stardom.

“As news of his audacity ripples through the rumour-starved community, it becomes a merciless portrayal of a world so comically cramped and mean-spirited that hope is an outrage to its order."

Nikki added: “It’s such an amazing story that thrives on dreams sought, risked, denied and possibly even lost.

“The centre of this swirling vortex of foggy hopes is Cripple Billy, who shares his life with a cast of extraordinary characters.

“With unexpected plot turns, it promises to take the audience along on a crazy journey of discovery and eventually willing Cripple Billy to stand tall.”

The Cripple Of Inishmaan is staged from Monday to Saturday, November 30 to December 5, from 7.30pm at Keighley Playhouse in Devonshire Street.

Tickets cost £6 and £7 by calling 07599 890769.