FROM Emma Stone and Viola Davis stealing the limelight at the Oscars, to Billie Piper and Glenda Jackson taking centre stage in the West End, 2017 has been a golden year for actresses.

Rapture Theatre celebrates this seminal year by producing a season of iconic American masterpieces that feature some of the most formidable, complex and flawed female characters.

The group kick off their Iconic Season with Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? which will run at the Macrobert Arts Centre, Stirling, on May 3-4.

A marathon night of late night drinking, debauchery and duplicity develops as Martha and her husband George invite unsuspecting young couple, Nick and Honey, around for a nightcap.

Drinks flow, spiked with vicious humour, acerbic wit and tempestuous verbal sparring.

However, as night turns to morning, searing secrets are exposed. Putting the fun into dysfunctional, Woolf wryly exposes the dark attraction in relationships.

Rapture's production will feature Rose Reynolds, Robin Kingsland and Paul Albertson, with Scottish actress Sara Stewart leading the cast as the iconic Martha.

Edinburgh-born Sara will be well known to audiences from her appearances in Rebus, Doctor Foster, The Night Manager and Batman Begins. She also recently appeared on the West End stage in Hay Fever and has played opposite Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow in the Pulitzer Prize winning play Proof.

Michael Emans, artistic director of Rapture Theatre, said: "We are delighted to be working on this exciting project. Access to high quality theatre is a must-have for young people. It encourages, inspires and motivates. It can both entertain and provoke."

He added: "We hope that by providing the up close and personal experience that only truly live theatre can bring, we will inspire the next generation of directors, writers, designers and performers."

Laura Mackenzie-Stuart, head of theatre at Creative Scotland, said: "Rapture's Iconic Season will offer audiences across Scotland a diverse programme of exciting productions. Opportunities that enable more young adults to access the arts are welcomed and we anticipate Rapture's collaboration with Motherwell Theatre will prove popular."

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is produced in association with Motherwell Theatre and this collaboration will result in 100 school children in North Lanarkshire being provided with tickets for the show, subsidised transport costs and access to workshop activities.

Craig Smart from Motherwell Theatre said: "We are delighted to support this wonderful initiative. Rapture's work is always highly popular with pupils and students, and our collaboration with Rapture will ensure that pupils and students in North Lanarkshire will have access to this production."

For ticket details, visit macrobertartscentre.org or call the box office on 01786 466 666.