CHILDREN?S nursery rhyme ?Ring-a-ring-a-roses? is given a new slant in the Courtenay Players? forthcoming musical at the Octagon Theatre, Okehampton from October 23-26. The musical, written by Darren Vallier specifically for amateur theatre groups, tells the story in words and music of the Village of Eyam at the height of the Black Death in England in 1665. The initial symptoms of The Plague were headaches, fevers, a small cough together with a strange, sweet smell and a red rash ? the ?Ring of Roses? of the nursery rhyme. The villagers take the decision to put their children onto a nearby hill to isolate them and hopefully keep them clear of the disease. When a stranger arrives in the village and goes to the hill does he bring the black death will him and will the children survive? Much in the style of ?Les Miserables?, the production promises to be an evening of music, laughter, tears and sheer joy. Tickets are available from Fairplace Church 50/50 shop or The Arcade in Okehampton priced at £7 for adults and £5 for children with special family tickets also available.