A NEW professional theatre company hopes to tour Oxfordshire after holding its first production in Witney.

Witney Theatre Company performed August Strindberg's Miss Julie in a barn at Cogges Manor Farm Museum last Thursday and Friday. About 100 people saw the play, about the relationship between a young woman and a servant, across the two nights.

Adrian Hewitt, who set up the group because he felt the town did not have anything similar, said: “The numbers were a bit disappointing but I didn’t know what would happen as it was our first one.

“I told the cast that when McDonald’s opened it didn’t sell 20 million burgers on its first day.

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“But I’m encouraged because the people who did go gave excellent feedback and said they enjoyed it.

“It bodes well for the future because they will tell their friends about it for the next production.”

Dad-of-four Mr Hewitt, 51, a screenwriter for children’s programmes including MI High and The Mysti Show, plans to book venues around the county to tour the play.

He will then begin work on a second production, with the aim of performing early next year.

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