Twenty-five years ago the University of Essex premiered Caryl Churchill's insightful play Fen and, as the playwright marks her 70th birthday, a new production is one of the many highlights of the Lakeside Theatre's autumn season.

Students from the University's Centre for Theatre Studies will present this dark and thought provoking play set deep in the mist laden potato fields of East Anglia. Running from Wednesday 29 October to Friday 31 October, the play, here directed by Barbara Peirson, focuses on a group of women labourers who are searching to give greater meaning to their lives.

Internationally renowned performance company Station House Opera (pictured) make their debut at the Lakeside Theatre with their latest production, Mind Out on Thursday 23 October.

Famed for their unique physical and visual style Station House Opera is now creating works for a more intimate space, such as the Lakeside.

Mind Out explores the impossible question of what it is like to be mindless. Each performer acts as the mind of another, giving simple instructions for action while their own body responds to someone else's bidding. With constantly shifting relationships and minds and bodies shared between performers, it becomes increasingly difficult to discern who is in control.

The theatre's season begins on Thursday 9 October with two new one act plays written by Alison Atkinson of Atlas Productions. The Story of Dante and Beatrice combines live music, dance and recitals of Dante's poetry in the original Italian.

The second play The Story of Abelard and Heloise is the story of two medieval lovers whose love affair is remarkably similar to lovers, Francesca and Paolo, who appear in Dante's The Divine Comedy.

Momentum return to the Lakeside Theatre for their third visit, this time with Anima on Thursday 6 November. This production has been commissioned by the Liverpool Culture Company as part of their Capital of Culture celebrations. By turns, deeply disturbing, humorous and moving Anima takes the audience on a surreal, thought provoking and emotional journey.

Shades of Brown by Rani Moorthy lands at the Lakeside on Friday, 21 November, brought by the team behind the acclaimed Curry Tales. This one woman show tells the powerful story of characters who share a kinship through the one thing they cannot hide, or hide from, their skin.

The season concludes with Funeral Games on Thursday 4 December. Theatre company Unpacked tell a darkly comedic story, using high-octane physicality and object animation.