SHANTY Theatre Company returns to Dorset this weekend with The Salty Socks of Dunkirk.

This is a wonderfully warm family tale about life in a rural community in the run-up to Dunkirk, and one boy’s valiant attempt to help the stranded soldiers.

Salty Socks has a cast of four actors – Sam Martin, Amy Tweed, Ben Tolley and Kate Adams – and is perfect family viewing for the summer.

“We have had a really good response from our audiences,” said Shanty co-founder Tim Bell.

“People have enjoyed the show and have laughed where they were meant to and also been moved by the pathos of parts of the story.”

He added: “So much has been written about what happened on the frontline and the beaches, but there’s a story to be told about the small rural communities back here and how they coped.

“This is the first time we have told a story that comes from living memory.”

Catch it at village halls in Burton Bradstock tonight (call 01308 897 214), Toller Porcorum tomorrow (01300 320 373) and Child Okeford on Sunday (01258 861 391). Performances at 7.30pm.