THE weird and wonderful world of blind dates and matchmaking is being explored on stage.

Bolton Little Theatre is mixing comedy and drama for its upcoming production of Mr Wonderful by James Robson.

It will be the last play of the season for the company and tells the story of a search of love through the Lonely Hearts columns.

Lisa Barlow takes on the lead role of Norma, a forty something woman who lives with and cares for her bedridden mother while desperately searching for her own Mr Wonderful - also the name of her mother's Teddy Bear - via the classified adverts.

Lisa said: "It’s not something I’ve had personal experience of but I can certainly feel for Norma and her situation.

"It must be very hard trying to find someone just right for you, and in a far from ideal situation."

Norma is aided and abetted by her ageing mother Phoebe, played by Sue Gill, and they are joined in the cast by Matthew James as Geoff Lazenby and Michael Morris in various roles.

While 'Lonely Hearts' adverts have slowly died out in favour of online dating, the play shows that the inherent issues remains the same - how do we really know that the person who answers the advert is who they said they were? And who has our back if they're not?

James Robson’s keenly observed play about looking for love is also about lies and deceit, dealing with the deeper issues of mother and daughter relationships.

Director Steve Gill adds: “When I was asked to direct the piece, I knew little, if anything,about it.

"But I read the script and fell in love with it. I didn’t even look at the author’s name and as I read it I was convinced it was written by a woman, so acute were the insights into Norma and Phoebe’s relationship.

"At the end of the day Phoebe, Norma’s mother, just wants the best for her daughter – but there’s the ever present fear in Phoebe that, if she loses Norma to her Mr. Wonderful, who will look after herself? That’s what I love about a multi-layered play like this."

Mr Wonderful runs from June 18 to 25. to book tickets call the box office on 01204 524469 or at www.boltonlittletheatre.co.uk.