WHERE better could you experience the classic Greek play Orpheus than in Grecian Hall at Castle Howard?

On Saturday and Sunday, Stillington company The Flanagan Collective and Easingwold's Gobbledigook Theatre will present a modern re-telling of Orpheus In The Underworld in two exclusive evenings of contemporary storytelling and haunting folk music, fresh from Best Theatre award-winning success at the Adelaide Fringe in February and March.

Written by the Flanagan Collective's Alexander Wright with music by Gobbledigook's Phil Grainger – already a regular performer at Castle Howard – the show combines the spoken word and soaring soul music to tell a tale of impossible, death-defying love, loss and adventure in this world and the next.

Performed by York actress, poet and playwright Hannah Davies and Grainger on Saturday and Wright and Grainger on Sunday, Orpheus weaves together a world of dive bars and side streets with ancient gods and late-night karaoke, jumping back and forward in time, from past to present and future.

Wright's story centres around Dave, an ordinary man celebrating his 30th birthday in a disco, when the festivities are interrupted by the forest nymph, Eurydice. The audience can expect familiar pop hits and original tunes throughout the show as the tale unfolds.

"It's not a show that anyone directs; it's two people being informal, telling a story," says Alex, who has just turned 30 himself. "We wrote it in 2016 because we both had two weeks off and couldn't really afford to have two weeks off!

"It's a story I've known since primary school and have always been preoccupied with, and what we've done, rather than banging on about an ancient Greek tale is tell the story of a man who falls deeply and suddenly in love and that changes the fabric of his life. There's something about Dave being an ordinary bloke in this world and Eurydice being an other-worldly, almost magical woman that changes things irrevocably that we connect with. The reason that Greek tales endure is that they tell us stuff about ourselves, about our glorious impossibilities."

This weekend's performances will be the first evening theatrical shows to take place in the Grecian Hall, giving visitors a unique after-hours experience, says Abbigail Ollive, Castle Howard’s head of marketing. "This will be a truly intimate performance, and we’re arranging the seating so that everyone feels close to the performers so they can become absorbed in the music and drama unfolding around them," she adds.

"We’ve hosted huge events and live performances in the grounds of Castle Howard, but we're excited to work with the producers and performers to try out this remarkably different experience in the beautiful Grecian Hall."

Tickets for the 7.30pm shows cost £17 for adults, £15 for students and over 60s; the show is suitable for children aged 12 and over, with child tickets for £10. Places are limited, so prompt booking is recommended at castlehoward.co.uk. Be advised to arrive at around 7pm.