A NEW whodunnit is coming to Dorset this autumn.

Mara will be performed by acclaimed storyteller Dominic Kelly in Milborne St Andrew on Saturday, November 25.

Dominic is performing live in two rural communities this November as part of the touring programme from Artsreach, the county’s rural arts charity.

It’s 1868. Discharged from the army with malaria, Morten scrapes a living on the edge of Sweden’s ancient forests.

Suddenly he begins to suffer nightmares and mysterious visits as he sleeps. A friend tells him he’s plagued by a Mara – a possessed person who visits another in spirit form. To free himself from the Mara, he must discover their identity. But who is it?

To find out, he begins to closely watch the world around him. But as he becomes aware of his neighbours’ lives and the life of the ancient forest, his own begins to transform…

Promoters say: "Entertaining, unsettling and moving, this solo storytelling performance is a whodunnit, a dive into the dreamscape of Swedish folklore, a love story, a journey into Europe’s ancient forests, a playful look at our relationship with sleep and an exploration of what really means to be awake."

Performance storyteller Dominic Kelly has an international reputation for dynamic, powerful and entertaining work, having performed at venues including The Barbican, National Theatre, Soho Theatre, The British Museum and festivals around the world from India to the Arctic Circle.

Call 01258 839060 for tickets to the Milborne St Andrew performance of Mara on Saturday, November 25. It will also be performed at Sandford Orcas Village Hall on Sunday, November 26. Call 01963 220208 for tickets. Both performances are at 7.30pm.

Mara is recommended for those aged 13 and above. Tickets and further information are available on the Artsreach website.