A COMEDY about morris dancing, which was spurned by big distributors but gained popularity after being shown in village halls, is to be shown at a cinema in Exeter.

Morris: A Life With Bells On, is a documentary-style comedy which follows the fortunes of one of the country's leading Morris teams, Millsham Morris, and in particular those of its avant-garde leader, Derecq Twist.

The production stars Derek Jacobi, Naomie Harris, Dominique Pinon and Harriet Walter, and its website receives more than 100,000 visitors a week.

The Picturehouse is screening the film on St Morris Day — Sunday, September 27.

Picturehouse programmer Deborah Allison said: "The desire to see the film has spread through nothing but positive word of mouth — the most powerful form of marketing a film could hope for."

To book tickets for Morris: A Life With Bells On, which starts at 3.30pm, visit www.picturehouses.co.uk/ exeter or call 0871 7042057.