A PORTLAND artist and theatre maker is staging a musical version of the much-loved book series ‘The Pink Pippos of Portland’.

Thanks to a grant from Dorset Council, Sophie Fretwell has adapted the book written by her parents and will include actors that are part of the local community.

Sophie said: “I love celebrating this amazing place we live in, with the people who live there. The Pippos of course, are magical, hippo-like creature that live beneath Chesil's waves and keep the beach clean and tidy.

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“I wanted the production to have an environmental message, as I’m passionate about taking care of this beautiful stretch of the Jurassic Coast.”

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Catch the Pippos on tour at Portland Marina on August 24 at 4pm for "Portland Week" festival, at Community 2000 Hall in Easton at 2pm on September 11 for "b-side festival" and Abbotsbury's Strangways Village Hall on October 1. Visit PinkPippos on Facebook for more information.