In the middle of a howling snowstorm, a bus pulls up at a roadside diner. All roads are blocked and some weary travellers are forced to take refuge until morning.

“So begins the gathering of characters as they walk through the door, shaking the cold off and complaining about the weather.

One by one, the bus passengers are introduced, each with their own quirks and conflicts,” says Deborah Mouat, who is directing Keighley Playhouse’s production of Bus Stop.

William Inge’s light comedy is a slice-of-life tale set in Grace’s Diner, where the desperation, yearning, dreams, hopes and loneliness of each character is played out overnight. The audience will feel like a “fly-on-the-wall among passing strangers”.

“Bus Stop brings an assortment of characters with backgrounds as different as night and day,” says Deborah.

“A cowboy with a primal mixture of testosterone, neediness and aggression fires the principal conflict with a showgirl.

“The cafe proprietor and the bus driver develop a friendship, a middle-age scholar comes to terms with himself and a young girl gets her first taste of romance.

“Theatre is one of the best ways to warm up these wintry evenings and that’s exactly what this production offers – a warm place to cast off life’s chill.”

Bus Stop runs at Keighley Playhouse from Monday to Saturday. For tickets call 07599 890769 during office hours.

For more about future Keighley Playhouse productions email keighleyplayhouse@btinternet. com.