EIGHTY years of smelling the greasepaint is being celebrated by a local thespian group.

Grassington Players, founded in 1923, is marking the occasion with a dinner dance on February 1 - the date members' first trod the boards.

The party is being held at the town hall and chairman and performer for 25 years, Rachel Steventon, is in the throes of trying to contact old members for a get-together.

"We'd like them to be able to come to the 80th anniversary and mark the first ever meeting of the Players," she said.

Peter Whittaker, another performing member, has spent many hours researching the history of the group, which will culminate in an anniversary publication.

"It has been hard work, but enormous fun trawling through many old and dusty boxes of playbills and re-living many memories," he said.

The Players' first production was a quartet of one act plays. Since that successful debut, they have performed equal amounts of drama and comedy, reducing the audience to tears or laughter two or three times a year.

Their annual Dickensian Festival production is also eagerly anticipated and is as much a part of the festivities as all the other regular entertainers.

And amid the anniversary celebrations, preparations continue for the next production, 'Allo, 'Allo, a Second World War farce set in France, which will be performed on April 24, 25 and 26.

Tickets can be obtained from Rachel Steventon on 01756 752704, The Stork Exchange on 01756 753599.

Tickets for the dinner dance cost £10 and include a champagne reception.