SHEFFIELD company The Bare Project will present a piece of theatre as strange and bright as a lump of ice at the York Theatre Royal Studio on February 20.

Written by Joe W – yes, that is as much of a surname as he uses – On The Outskirts Of A Large Event is on a northern studio tour with its mix of cinematic projection, surround sound and spoken word.

After five years of making a range of immersive site-specific work, this ambitious piece of writing heralds a new way of working for The Bare Project, who are touring a show for the first time.

Joe W, who took part in the Royal Court’s Introduction to Playwriting group in London in 2016, creates a world where an iceberg arrives at a tropical island, whereupon the inhabitants search for someone to blame for the unlikely visitor. "This is a place where scapegoating is a reflex," says Joe.

The production is directed by the South Yorkshire company's artistic director and co-founder, Malaika Cunningham, who is at present undertaking a PhD in theatre and activism at the University of Leeds. Her cast features The Bare Project's associate artist, Rose Gray, and Nicola Blackwell, who appeared in the National Theatre's Market Boy and has been a key part of the development of Joe W's show.

Malaika says: "I am thrilled to be bringing Outskirts to some of our favourite theatres across the north. It really feels like the culmination of all the artistic projects we’ve undertaken over the past five years. While working on site-specific shows is still an important part of our practice, it’s very exciting to be working in theatre spaces on this project with all the new opportunities and limitations that brings.

"We hope this piece carries over the magic and immersive nature of our past work. I believe the skills and talent of our designers, performers and, of course, Joe, will ensure a bizarre and unforgettable experience for our audiences."

Outskirts is the sixth full-scale production for The Bare Project, a theatre and interactive arts company that creates imaginative, surreal pieces of work that play with the barriers between audience and performer, performance and reality. Previous work includes Dangerous Or Otherwise for the National Trust in 2017; How To Survive The Blitz And Other Things for Portland Works in 2016, Bardo for Forge North in 2015 and Time.Passes.Listen at Theatre Delicatessen in Sheffield in 2014.

Tickets for February 20's 7.45pm can be booked on 01904 623568 or at yorktheatreroyal.co.uk. Please note, the show is suitable for age 14 upwards.