AUDIENCES will be taken on a journey through thousands of years of history in a new play that takes a look at fracking and its affects on the land and the community.

This Land is a new play written by Siân Owen which has been commissioned by Salisbury Playhouse and Pentabus Rural Theatre Company. It comes to The Salberg at Salisbury Playhouse from Wednesday, April 13 to Saturday 30 as part of a national tour of rural venues.

This Land explores what happens when a family faces the threat of a fracking company setting up metres from their house.

How far down do you own the land beneath your feet, how much does where you live inform the person you become and what happens when someone else comes along and stakes their claim?

“It is the story of Bea and Joseph, who are a couple in their 30s, and they live in a village with their young son, and it is about what happens to them when a company arrives and undertakes fracking on their doorstep," says Siân. "But threaded through their story is about the piece of land that they live on and the play travels through thousands of years of history of that land and meets the characters that have lived there before and left their mark."

She added: “It is such a topical issue and it is completely controversial and divisive. I hope everyone who watches it goes away, and if they don’t know anything about it that they want to find out more, and if they do already know everything about it I hope it helps to shine a different light on it because it is so complex.”

Siân was approached by Pentabus to write a play specifically looking at fracking and she says taking on the project she did lots of research into it.

“I went away and researched and did lots of reading. I live in Sussex so it was [fracking] already on my radar because of the situation in Balcombe,” she said. “The research really opened my eyes. There are a lot of complexities and the realities, and the science and just how much it affects communities.

“I was really keen for it not to be a preachy one-sided story,” she added. “One of my main wishes when writing the play was that it sparks debate and starts those conversations that might be hard to have, and be a jumping in point for someone wanting to research it themselves or find out a bit more or understand the other side, and understand how we have got to this point.”

She hopes This Land will get people thinking about fracking in a different way - beyond the headlines in the news.

This Land is performed by Rosie Armstrong and Harry Long, and directed by Jo Newman.

The play is suitable for those aged 14 years and over. For tickets or more information call the ticket office on 01722 320333. or visit salisburyplayhouse.com