A new musical theatre company is due to tour Cornwall and the UK with its reimagined version of The Pied Piper of Hamelin.

RAT, created by multi-instrumentalist and theatre maker Louis Gulliver King, is made up of a collection of musicians, theatre makers and visual artists.

The group is going to tell the story of The Pied Piper through live music and shadow puppetry.

The show has been in development for two years, during which time Louis has formed the multi-faceted band “The Rat Affair”.

RAT is its debut project.

Louis said it “questions the nature of contemporary storytelling by removing speech from the narrative, presenting a powerful spectacle of light and sound”.

The show was described as having “fiercely beautiful imagery with extraordinary music and a biting political comment” by Mike Shepherd of Kneehigh Theatre.

The songs in the show are mainly focused around saxophonist Joe Carey, luring the audience, and the rats throughout the show.

The music is described as shifting “between sensationally boisterous Eastern European folk, and sparse reflective piano works.”

The band recently performed a preview show in early January at the Tolmen Centre in Constantine.

Shadow puppetry designed by Ailsa Dalling will accompany the music.

Louis said: “Her imagery compliments the music brilliantly, telling the tale of a curious man who offers to rid a corrupt town in crisis by driving its vermin infestation away.

“RAT brings together a host of outstanding artists working in theatre and performance, promising to be one of the most exciting experiences of 2020.”

There are various tour dates across the south west and the rest of England in February and March, starting at the Mount Pleasant Ecopark on February 26.

The show then visits the Acorn Theatre, Penzance, on February 27, before coming to The Poly in Falmouth on February 29.

To find out more visit www.therataffair.com