The boards might not be the only things creaking when a theatre company stages a comedy 50 years after initially performing the play.

Ray Hopper, 57, of Burgess Hill, was a teenager when he took the role of Hopcroft in The Happiest Days of Your Life with the Young Wyke Players, as they were known in 1957.

The company is now called the Wick Theatre Company and the group will once again perform the play, by John Dighton, under the directorship of Mr Hopper.

It includes an original cast member, Ralph Dawes who played Dick Tassell in 1957 and will return as the character Rainbow the groundsman.

Mr Dawes and his wife, Betty, founded the company in 1948.

Mrs Dawes played Miss Gossage in the original and, like her husband, takes an active role in the group as both president and front of house manager.

The group now has about 130 members.

Mr Hopper said: "I have been a member for 50 years and I just wanted to find a way to say thank you for the fun, friendship and artistic endeavours of the group in those years."

He has managed to gather five of the original 13 cast members for the reunion.

Sadly, some of the actors have passed away since 1957.

But five of the original cast members will be attending a gala performance at the end of the run and a private celebratory dinner the next day.

They include Barbara Riedl nee Cahoun who is travelling from Austria for the production.

Mr Hopper is still looking for two actors from the 1957 production.

He said: "We are looking for Seamus McGurk. He played Billings. We also want to find Sally Bonnington who played Mrs Peck."

Anyone who knows where either actor might be can contact Mr Hopper on 01444 258356.

Wick Theatre Company's production, which will be part of the Adur festival, runs from June 6 to June 9, at the Barn Theatre in Southwick Street, Southwick.

It starts at 7.45pm and tickets cost £7.50 or £8 from the box office on 01273 597094.