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Bendigo Mitchell was a notorious highwayman who preyed on travellers along the Warwick to Banbury turnpike and the Fosse.

The Slaughterhouse Players will tell the tale of his antics and his horse “Skater”.

Skater got his nickname when he skittered across the frozen pond at Chesterton Mill, with Bendigo on his back, to escape capture.

Left shows Ben Lambert as Bendigo on Skater and right shows Ben Lambert as Bendigo and Lorraine Barlow as Gypsy O’Rourke. Photos supplied by the Slaughterhouse Players

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The highwayman and his accomplices regularly robbed the traders leaving Warwick Market and had several bolt-holes and hideaways particularly behind Harwoods House and beyond Chesterton Mill.

The Slaughterhouse Players are a local theatre group who perform plays in Warwick and Leamington.

It was formed more than 30 years ago and their most performed play is "Guy of Warwick".

The Players regularly donate performance profits to local charities and their most recent performance covered the story of Sam Lockhart and his three elephants who lived in Leamington.

Chris Willsmore, co-founder and author said: “Slaughterhouse Players have re-enacted a few trials over recent years.

"We last performed our tale of Bendigo in 2015 and we’re delighted to be performing again in aid of Scope.”

The story, called ‘Stand and Deliver’, will be told at Alderson House in High Street in Warwick in January, with guests Wychwood Folk Rock.

Paul Fisher from Wychwood Folk Rock added: “We wrote a song about Bendigo Mitchell and Skater, so couldn’t refuse a request to join the Stand and Deliver performances.

"We will also be performing a new song that we’ve written especially for the occasion.”

Members of the audience will be the jury to deliver the verdict on the trial.

It is said that Bendigo was hanged before a crowd of more than 10,000 people in, what is now, Warwick Sainsbury’s car park.

Performances will take place on Friday January 27 at 7.30pm and on Saturday January 28 at 4pm and 7.30pm.

Tickets cost £10 and are available from the Tourist Information Office in Jury Street in Warwick or by emailing: [email protected]

Tickets can also be bought online at: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/stand-and-deliver-tickets-464968903507

Proceeds raised from the event will be going to Safeline, which is a charity based in the town that helps people affected by sexual abuse.

Warwick Highwayman ordering theatre audiences to 'stand and deliver' at charity event