WHAT happens when you lose your way in a town declared the "happiest place to live in Britain"?

Last year's survey award to the verdant North Yorkshire spa town of Harrogate has prompted Harrogate Theatre chief executive and playwright David Bown to revisit his 1999 dark comedy Loaded in a co-production with Reform Theatre.

Re-worked as Loaded In Harrogate, writer-director Bown's menacing drama explores power, desire and violence in the fast and furious story of mechanics Mick, Pete and Hud, who are sick of being treated like slaves by loaded Porsche drivers. Influenced by a wave of jewellery heists in Harrogate, they decide they want a piece of the action, but as their carefully laid plans career out of control, their nerve is tested. Meanwhile Carol, Pete's other half, battles with self-destruction in a place where she doesn't belong.

"It's a new version for Harrogate and there are a number of reasons for doing it," says David. "Keith Hukin, at Reform Theatre, is a big fan of the play for a start, and one of the things about Harrogate is the perception of living here and the reality of living here and they don't quite match.There's the Bettys side but there's the disenfranchised side too.

"The reality is that recently there's been quite a lot of violent crime in the town, so we thought it would be interesting to do the play here as it's a story of haves and have-nots. You see wealthy people swanning around in their cars but there are a lot of people here who don't have that and are cynical about it."

Loaded in Harrogate's main-house run from March 3 to 12 will be complemented by another dark comedy drama, the Black Toffee Theatre and Harrogate Theatre co-production of Laura Lindsay's Parallel in the Studio Theatre from March 1 to 5.

Directed by James Baker, the play is built around a bench, a vending machine and night time. Anna is stranded; Beth came for a think; C just wants some kip, as three women meet by chance late at night. None of them really wants to be there, yet none of them leaves, and in this rare moment of stillness in a hectic modern world, they experience both solace and discomfort. With only loose change, some booze and a dodgy carrot at their disposal, will any of them find their way home?

Parallel aims to challenge our understanding of home, purpose and charity in a play where each actor's part will be determined by the roll of a dice as the impact of chance and choice on the outcome of our lives is considered.

"The show has been developed with the Harrogate Homeless Project, so the three people in the story are about to be displaced from their current lives," says David. "Like Loaded, it has the theme of chance, fate and the consequences of decisions being made."

Tickets for Loaded In Harrogate and Parallel are on sale on 01423 502116 or at harrogatetheatre.co.uk