TWO special productions have stayed off stage at Bolton's Octagon Theatre. Jane Barber, manager of the theatre's Spotlight Cafe, has produced twin boys, Thomas and Luke, now four months old. With the help of husband, Andy, Jane of Astley Bridge, has returned to work to continue the theatre meals which have proved so popular in the cafe.

It was Jane's idea to introduce pre-booked, three-course evening meals at the cafe during theatre runs.

She does not know of any other theatre cafe which operates a similar system to the Spotlight's.

Her imaginative menus and value-for-money meals - when they start again in September they will cost only £6.25 - have attracted so many customers that Jane plans to serve snacks in the upstairs theatre bar, if necessary, so that more dinner diners may be accommodated in the cafe.

Jane, who studied at Bolton College and has an OND in Catering and an HND in Business Studies, tries to "theme" the meals for each production.

So the menu for performances of Dancing at Lughnasa, which has an Irish setting, and opens the theatre's Autumn season in September, includes Ballycotton Fish Pie, Beef and Guinness stew and traditional Irish trifle.

Enjoy, a play set in Leeds, not surprisingly has Yorkshire pudding on the menu. It's a winning formula which has attracted diners who have rapidly got used to the idea that they must choose their meals in advance.

"We buy everything fresh and don't want to waste anything," Jane explained. "At first people could not understand why they were asked what they wanted to eat when they booked a table.'

She hopes to make more savings by introducing different methods of serving some products by eliminating miniature cartons of food.

"We'll serve milk in a jug and portions of jam instead of the boxed variety," she explained. "It will our way of 'going green'."

Because of the increased popularity of theatre meals, Jane advises theatre-goers to book a table when they book their tickets.

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