A BOLTON theatre performer is showcasing his one-man show at a festival in Norway.

Josh Coates, aged 22, from Egerton, will stage Particles at the Progkunstfestivalen in Oslo, which begins in a disused warehouse on Saturday, June 21.

Standing alone on stage with just a microphone, he tells and retells a story about a man who faces decisions that will affect how his day will turn out — a different path chosen with each retelling.

Mr Coates, who went to went to Turton High School and sixth form, said: “It’s such a fantastic opportunity and it’s something I’ve always really wanted to do, tour work internationally.

“It sounds really cool. I’m excited but absolutely dreading it as well.

“Because it’s my first time going over there, it’s not the language but how my work will translate to a different culture and environment.

“I’m used to doing this show in the back rooms of pubs and at social spaces because it’s a fun, interactive show.”

The one-hour show will be staged at the Gregson Centre in Lancaster on Tuesday, June 17, and has also been accepted into the International Performance Festival, at the Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff, the following day.

Mr Coates, who went to Egerton Primary School, said: “People can either see it as a show that is about the decisions we make and how they influence our futures, and past decisions.

“Or it’s about the manipulation of information, depending on source.”

Mr Coates, co-founder of performance company and band Tin Tin and an associate artist with LEAP (Lancaster Emerging Arts Platform), has previously performed work in Manchester, Newcastle and London but is yet to stage anything in his hometown.

He said: “I really want to perform it in Bolton. I’ve never performed anything in Bolton.

“Bolton made me who I am and this is reflected in the work I make.”