Alien Chooks in Lithgow tells the story of Rex, an unemployed Lithgow man, and his son Rico who refuses to attend school.

Rex's North Shore girlfriend Violet battles the bottle and has a host of her own problems.

``It's a shaky family with lot of problems and then into their lives come these two chooks from the Planet Claire who need to get back to their planet,'' said McIntosh, who also directs the play.

``The son becomes friends with the chooks and his father becomes jealous. It's a fun play with lots of laughs but a serious message.''

Blacktown actor Lana Kershaw, who plays Violet, said the play dealt with subjects relevant to any community.

``These are issues which affect everyone,'' Kershaw said.

``The play is not lecturing, judgmental or cliched. The characters are very real: they're people we all know.''

A central theme in the play is alcohol and its effects on the lives of others.

McIntosh said her experiences at Blacktown Youth College inspired her to write the play along with her backyard chooks.

``I have five chooks in the garden, including Dot, who was a particular source of inspiration,'' she said.

``Working with kids at the Blacktown Youth College over 15 years, you come to learn about the different experiences kids have with school.

``There are often problems in the homes which cause a lot of problems for the kids.''

She said she wanted to show through humour that help could come from unexpected places.

The journey from writing the play to rehearsing and directing had been exhilarating, exciting and nerve-racking, she said.

Alien Chooks in Lithgow is on at Newtown Theatre from October 28 to November 14.

Details, tickets: alienchooks.com.