TERRY Pratchett’s hilarious and wry Discworld novel Maskerade comes to life later this week courtesy of Weymouth Drama Club.

The play, largely set in the opera house in Ankh Morpork, features many of Pratchett’s best-loved Disc-world characters including Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg.

The Opera House, recently purchased by the former cheese-monger Mr Seldom Bucket, is in financial difficulties and is haunted by a ghost who keeps murdering members of the company.

It takes the somewhat frightening Granny Weatherwax and her more earthy friend Nanny Ogg, witches from Lancre, to help restore order.

With interesting and diverse char-acters including an opera ghost, a leading lady who can’t sing, a super-cilious musical director, a very large opera star who is not all he seems and a chorus who are clearly not normal, it’s chaos all the way.

The cast has been joined by some new members and the play has been directed by Julie Knight assisted by Richard Grafton.

Weatherwax and Ogg are played by Deborah Walton and Rachel Turberville-Smith, Bucket by Glen Ingram and Walter Plinge by Paul Gorsuch.

Drama club spokeswoman Rachel Turberville-Smith said: “This is a witty adaptation by Stephen Briggs of a very funny book – with more than a nod to a certain well- known musical.

“It’s going very well and has been great fun to do. The play has a large cast so several people are playing character parts that they can really get their teeth into.

“We’ve already done Wyrd Sisters, also by Pratchett, and that was very popular so we wanted to do another one. It has a slight pantomime feel about it and is very funny.”

The show runs at Weymouth Pavilion from April 3-5.