WHEN your theatre company name is based on All The World's A Stage, then it can only be a matter of time before you perform the play it came from.

For Colchester's TWAS Theatre Company, that period of time is just about a year.

That's when Matt Jewson and Jenna Saiz set up their company, essentially to perform productions in local schools, but much like their first show Trailblazer, they are hoping Shakespeare's As You Like It will be another calling card for the professional and imaginative productions they aim to put on.

Matt says: "There are a number of reasons why we wanted to do this. Obviously there's the quote we took for our name and it's Shakespeare's 400th anniversary but for us it's all about access. Creating a Shakespeare that is accessible to those who might not be able to see something like this and those who might normally come and see a Shakespeare."

Employing local director, and recent graduate of the Mercury Theatre's new Early Career Training Programme, Tom Foster, this version of the Bard's pastoral comedy has taken the idea of travellers to form the basis of their theme.

Tom adds: "We started with the notion of travellers as represented by places like Dale Farm but more the travelling community as a whole but then moved on to backpackers and finally the idea of a festival in a forrest where all these kind of travellers meet."

And no festival would be worth its salt without music and thankfully TWAS have recruited one of the best young musical directors and composers to help them out in Adam Abo Henrikson.

"There's been plenty of challenges," he smiles. "Getting all of the actors playing and singing for a start, especially with instruments like the accordion, mandolin and drum box.

"Then there's the composing, which actually I've really enjoyed, looking at all kinds of different styles but a lot of Irish Celtic folk."

As You Like It takes place at Witham Public Hall next Friday, September 16, at 7.30pm before enjoying a three-night run at St Martin's Church in West Stockwell Street, Colchester, again at 7.30pm from September 30.

Tickets are £10, available via www.ticketsource.co.uk/twas-theatre for Colchester, and by calling 0345 017 8717 for Witham.