CHERRIES are the best of the bunch according to The Company of Ten which opens tonight (Thursday) with a Chekhov classic.

The St Albans drama group is putting on The Cherry Orchard which is lauded as one of the greatest plays of the 20th Century.

It tells the poignant story of widowed landowner Madam Ranevskaya’s return to her country estate and her struggle to keep hold of her beloved cherry orchard despite her desperate financial circumstances.

Performances at the Abbey Theatre, St Albans, run from 8pm tonight until Saturday (11) with a Sunday matinee at 2.30pm and evening performances again from next Wednesday, May 15, to Saturday, May 18.

To book tickets go to www.abbeytheatre.org.uk or call the box office on 01727 857861.