Imagine there is one starry night left to the end of the world. What would you do?

The Shysters answer this question in their debut appearance at York Theatre Royal next week in the Studio show Tango Apocalypso.

In a devised piece of theatre, dance and mime, The Shysters' cast of eight actors with learning disabilities present a love story set in the key of a fateful fandango.

Inspired by the music of the Ladaaba Orchestra, the Kroke Band and the Divine Miss M, the action takes place in dimly-lit interiors. Threatening shadows, doomed love and obsession, trains and railway stations all play their part in a drama that promises an outlandishly happy ending.

The work is led by artistic director Richard Hayhow, who set up The Shysters in 1997 in partnership with the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry.

"This will be the first time for us in York. I built up a relationship with the Theatre Royal chief executive Ludo Keston when he was at the New Vic, where he took two of our shows in 2000 and 2001," he says.

"We like to develop good relationships with theatres so that we're not just a hit-and-run company, and while we're in York we'll be doing a Friday morning workshop with a learning disabled group. Accessible Arts, from York, will be performing in the bar at the two shows, and we've already made contact with them to exchange notes."

Tango Apocalypso completes a trilogy of Shysters' plays on the themes of isolation, revenge and now love.

"Tango Apocalypso is a melodrama that takes the form of a silent movie, so it's a heightened performance with theatre, dance and mime and music underscoring it," says Richard.

The Shysters will tango the night and day away on Thursday at 7.45pm and Friday at 3pm.

Tickets cost £5, concessions £3.50, on 01904 623568.

Updated: 15:55 Thursday, March 11, 2004