Following the sell-out London transfer of Stovepipe in 2009, HighTide Festival transfers Ditch to The Old Vic Tunnels for a limited season.

Set in Britain in the near future when much of the country is underwater and the government has been reduced to a group of fascist strongmen, the men patrol the moors for illegals in a rural outpost of the state. As their numbers dwindle, they struggle to retain a semblance of civilisation in the face of the inevitable onset of global war.

Stark and imperative, but shot through with a sense of warm humanity, Beth Steel's debut Ditch is a clear-eyed look at how we might behave when the conveniences of our civilisation are taken away, and a frightening vision of a future that could all too easily be ours.

Richard Twyman directs, following his triumphant Royal Shakespeare Company production of Henry IV Part II as part of the RSC Histories Season, which he Associate Directed and which won Olivier Awards for Best Revival, Best Ensemble and Best Costume.

Since forming four years ago, HighTide have pioneered a form of theatre that marries new writing with ambitious and strong narratives with the evocative site-specific locations that can realise the dramatic potential of these plays. As a company, the first port-of-call is always to find the space that serves the text most powerfully and immerse the audience within the environment of the play.

In February 2010, The Old Vic acquired a lease for a series of subterranean tunnels to create an innovative performance space beneath Waterloo Station. The Old Vic Tunnels will showcase productions, performances and installations in 2010 and will be home to a series of innovative and surprising arts events.