POPULAR historical play Hobson’s Choice is revived by Bingley Little Theatre next month.

Harold Brighouse’s play tells the story of a tight-fisted widower and father of three daughters attempting to impose his will on his family.

Ultimately, Henry Hobson doesn’t get his own way after his eldest daughter Maggie stands up to his bullying.

Maggie has a very strong hand when she decides she must go her own way and set up a rival business with Hobson’s best employee. Hobson is left with the take-it-or-leave-it choice of the title.

A spokesman said: “The play anticipates many of the class and gender issues which surfaced in the intervening years. Originally set in Salford, experienced director Rosemary Grainger has set this one in Pudsey which is where leading man Glen Boldy is from.

“The cast also includes members from Keighley and several younger members who have graduated from Kaleidoscope Bingley Little Theatre’s youth theatre.”

The set designer and workshop team at Bingley Little Theatre had a particularly challenging task in producing three different sets for the play.

Hobson’s Choice runs from Monday to Saturday, December 4 to 9 at 7.30pm in Bingley Arts Centre. Visit bingleylittletheatre.co.uk or call 01274 567983 to book tickets.

Historically, Hobson’s choice is a free choice in which only one thing is offered. Because a person may refuse to accept what is offered, the two options are taking it or taking nothing.

The phrase is said to have originated with Thomas Hobson, who lived from 1544 to 1631, a livery stable owner in Cambridge.

He offered customers the choice of either taking the horse in his stall nearest to the door or taking none at all.

He rotated his 40 horses to ensure that customers didn’t always choose the best ones, meaning they would become overused.