A BEAUTIFUL Thing comes to Bolton's Octagon Theatre next week.

From Thursday until Saturday April 2, the theatre unites with renowned national touring company Pilot Theatre to present Beautiful Thing, Jonathan Harvey's celebrated play about family, friends and first love.

The production, directed by Pilot's artistic director Marcus Romer and featuring ex-Octagon Youth Theatre member Oliver Lee in his professional stage debut, opens at the theatre before embarking on a nati

Featuring a feelgood soundtrack ranging from Mama Cass to Christina Aguilera, this production of Beautiful Thing is set on a housing estate in Manchester during one long, hot British summer.

Bored teenagers Jamie, Ste and their friend Leah waste endless hours kicking their heels around the tower block, dreaming of better things.

Jamie's mother and her antics with her younger boyfriend are irritating the life out of Jamie, while his next-door neighbour Ste is finding it hard to cope with a tough family secret. Meanwhile, Leah escapes her own mundane world in the solace of her music idol, Mama Cass. As family tensions look set to explode, Jamie and Ste's bond gets closer and, when they reveal that they are more than just friends, it turns everyone's life around.

Beautiful Thing was Jonathan Harvey's breakthrough play and over the years has established itself as a cult classic.

The widespread success of the play encouraged Harvey to adapt it into a screenplay, with Channel 4 releasing it as a major film in 1996.

Jonathan Harvey has also written the TV series Gimme, Gimme, Gimme and currently writes for Coronation Street.

l Beautiful Thing is at the Octagon between March 10 and April 2. Tickets are £6.50 to £15.95; discounts include groups, schools and young person's £4 tickets.

Bargain Nights are Thursday, March 10, Friday March 11 and Monday, March 14 (tickets are £6.50 to £9). The ticket office is on 01204 520661.