Pupils at Dunottar School for Girls, Reigate, stepped back into the 14th century in their most recent production.

The youngsters presented an adaptation of Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, in which four mediaeval alchemists invite Chaucer's best-known pilgrims - the Knight, the Wife of Bath, the Pardoner, the Nun's Priest, and the Miller - to tell their tales in a dramatic attempt to bring the author back to life.

Girls from every year in the senior school took part in three sell-out performances to friends, parents and guests.

Mrs Teresa Munro, director of the production, said: “‘The girls have worked very hard over the last few months to put on a lively and colourful production.

“They have all enjoyed it immensely, especially the earthy humour that forms a key part of Chaucer’s writing.”

She added: “We chose to put on the production ‘in the round’, which presented quite a few dramatic and technical challenges but the girls handled them extremely well.”

Pictured presenting the Wife of Bath's tale were (from left to right) Robina Bateson, Alison Hieatt, Pia Persson, Maddie Penfold, Marissa Beatty, Daisy Marsh, Paige Griffiths and Holly Kelsey.