FANS of playwright Dario Fo are being asked to bring donations for a food bank when they visit Brentwood Theatre to see Fo’s 1974 play “Can’t Pay, Won’t Pay” later this month.

The political comedy follows the lives of two couples as they fight against rising prices in the supermarkets.

The production is being put on by The College Players. Group regulars Elaine Laight and Emma Feeney play the two women in the story who liberate food from their local supermarket and try to keep it hidden from their husbands and the law. But the husbands, played by Daryl Adcock and Gary Ball, get into trouble of their own.

Mark Griffiths, who makes his directing debut for The College Players with the play, said: “Can’t Pay Won’t Pay was written in 1974 but, even forty years on, the idea of being unable to afford things is still very relevant.

“In recent years many people have seen the cost of their weekly food shop rise, so the audience will see the modern relevance to the core values of the play.”

He added: “This is all about people having hard times with money. Even in Brentwood in 2014 there are people who are struggling to feed themselves and their families.

"This is why we’re inviting the audience to bring tinned and packet food which will be donated to the local food bank.” The production takes place from next Thursday to Saturday.

Tickets are £10 and available at www.brentwood-theatre.co.uk