A group of teenage drama students will take on their most challenging roles as they prepare to stage a powerful play.

The young actors from West Suffolk College will stage Bent - about the lives of Berlin's gay community during the 1930s and their treatment at the hands of the Nazis.

The students, who are on the performing arts course, have said they have been shocked by what their research has revealed about the treatment of gay men at the time and have challenged themselves to do justice to the characters.

The play was written by Martin Sherman and first performed by Sir Ian McKellan in 1979.

The performance will be held at the college's Conservatoire EAST Theatre and will take place on March 6, 8 and 10 at 7.30pm. Tickets for the performance, which is for over 16s only, are £7 and £5 for concessions.

Visit www.theatreroyal.org or call 01284 769505.