BRING on the womenfolk! Lindisfarne, the Southend drama group, staged the all-male, testosterone fuelled Glengarry Glenn Ross, about a group of ruthless salesmen, in March.

Now it’s the turn of the ladies, as the company presents Steel Magnolias, one of the very few plays in the classic repertoire with an all-female cast, at the Dixon Studio, Westcliff, next week.

The theme is the female spirit. Women can be as soft and tender as magnolia blossom, and as tough as steel, hence the title.

Set in the American deep south, it follows the fortunes of a group of women over the course of three years, and the way they respond, to the joys and tragedies of individual members. The all-life-is-here setting is a beauty salon in the small town of Chinquapin, Louisiana, owned by Truvy Jones.

The salon acts as a local centre of gossip where the group meet and interact on a regular basis as staff or clients.

The women respond to much of life with light-hearted banter, but when tragedy strikes they display deep strength of character and purpose, truly living up to the description steel magnolias.

The play, by Robert Harling, was written as a way of coming to terms with the death of his sister from diabetes, and acknowledged the help he had received from a number of strong women.

It was first staged in New York in 1987. In 1989 a film version starring Julia Roberts, Dolly Parton and Shirley MacLaine was a hit on both sides of the Atlantic.

Rob Stow, director of the Lindisfarne production, says: “This is an emotional rollercoaster of a play and demands strong acting, but we’ve got a cast that fully rises to the occasion.

“You can feel the love these women have for each other.”

Steel Magnolias Dixon Studio, Palace Theatre, Westcliff.

Tuesday, June 21, to Saturday June 25.

7.45pm nightly, matinee Sat 3pm.

01702 351135