THE creative ferment of Frome, Somerset’s most artistically active town, has produced a new play which draws on the writer-performer’s own experience as a taxi driver. Rank, by Dan Gaisford, is touring to Dorchester Arts at the Corn Exchange on 29th January, Bridport Arts Centre on 30th, Poole’s Lighthouse on 31st, Bath Theatre Royal’s Ustinov Studio on 2nd and 3rd February and the Bay Theatre at Weymouth College on 5th February.

The play had its premiere at the Merlin Theatre in Frome in November, as part of the theatre’s 50th anniversary celebrations. It is described as a dark comedy thriller which explores themes of class, gentrification, assumption and taxi driving.

The audience follows one driver’s epic encounter with a young woman and her two small children. Battling to tell his tale against the backdrop of an ever-ringing phone, it is clear he has become more involved in the lives of his passengers than he ever intended.

Drawing on his own experiences working as a taxi driver in the town, Dan moved to Frome with his parents, brother, nan, uncle, auntie and cousin to reopen the historic Griffin pub in the 80s and, after a decade away, answered the call to return home.

As Dan explains: “Actors often have to take on other work, in my case warehousing, bar work, cheese-packing etc, and my taxi driving started out in just the same way – providing great source material for character study, and anecdotes and lived experience.”

From writing sessions during Covid, this darkly comedic exploration of working-class men was born, asking what we do when everything starts to go wrong and if we can truly trust the people around us.

It is produced by award-winning OffPiste Theatre, and Dan Gaisford, who lives in Frome, was delighted that it started at the town’s Merlin theatre, during its 50th anniversary celebrations.

As a story that came from Frome, it was only right Frome saw it first, he says. “A lot is also said in Frome about growing social divisions in the town, and I think taxi driving gives a really interesting perspective on that. I’d be lying if I said part of the thing with Rank wasn’t to challenge some assumptions and stereotypes around class and mental health.”