AN acclaimed love story featuring a live robot on stage comes to Forest Arts Centre on Thursday.

Pipeline Theatre’s Spillikin (a love story) comes to New Milton, following huge success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2015.

Featuring a state-of-the-art robot as a cast member, Spillikin (a love story) is the story of a woman with Alzheimer's living with a robot companion. A deeply touching exploration of love, it premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe to outstanding critical and audience response, and was nominated for the prestigious Carol Tambor Best of Edinburgh Award.

It’s the 1970s. Sally likes Debbie Harry, Raymond likes making robots; they’re an unlikely pair. Fifty years later, after a long, childless and sometimes bumpy marriage, Sally has Alzheimer’s. Before Raymond died he created a robot, uploaded with his memories, to keep her company. It’s the ultimate love letter from beyond the grave: an endlessly patient memory-jogger and singing partner. But as Sally’s mind fades, will the robot be more of a comfort or a threat? Moving and funny, Spillikin poses big questions about love, death, and technology.

Artistic director and designer for Pipeline, Alan Munden, has personal experience of Alzheimer’s. He said: "Making work about what you know or desire to better understand, I think lends it integrity. My mother has Alzheimer’s. I am frightened when I try to imagine her experience, but intrigued and excited to manifest it on stage, and wish I had the patience of a robot."

Tickets: 0300 555 2898 or hampshireculturaltrust.org.uk/forest-arts-centre