THE Maskers are presenting a double bill in their Studio Theatre off Emsworth Road in Shirley from Thursday to Saturday.

Swan Song by Anton Chekov and directed by Ron Stannard is a brilliant short play which captures all the pain and self-delusion of an elderly Russian actor struggling to come to terms with his enforced retirement.

Why has he ended his days playing clowns and walk-ons in a dingy provincial town many miles from the bright lights of Moscow? In a dazzling display of lost magic he brings to life moments from King Lear, Hamlet and Othello.

Directed by Hazel Burrows, In by the Half by Jimmy Chinn is a poignant comedy about an ageing actress who, although retired, insists that the show must go on. The story is set in her Hammersmith cottage where she is attended by her ex-dresser-cum-housekeeper. A surprise visit from her estranged daughter brings a set of circumstances she is not fully able to cope with.

Tickets at £5 are available from the Box office on 023 8055 1489.