A show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe is to offer £1 tickets for those who are or have been homeless.

The show, Cathy - inspired by Ken Loach's famous film Cathy Come Home - is being staged by the Cardboard Citizens company in the hope of raising the issue of homelessness at the festival.

The play is a modern version of Loach's 1966 television play written by Jeremy Sandford, which led to much public debate and helped inspire the creation of Shelter, the homeless charity, later that year.

Cathy, which is being staged at the Pleasance venue, will be supported by Shelter Scotland.

Audiences at the show will be encouraged to take action after each performance with a "Legislative Theatre section".

Audiences will be given a chance to "voice their opinion, take action, express their views and contribute to the proposal of new housing laws."

The play, directed by Adrian Jackson, looks at how life might be for Cathy in 2017.

The plot was inspired by true stories and reflects "the social and personal impact of spiralling housing costs, gentrification and the challenges of a lack of truly affordable housing."

Adrian Jackson, director of Cardboard Citizens said: “Cathy Come Home has been prevalent throughout our work – first with a theatrical community staging of the play at the Barbican supported by Ken Loach and latterly with our modern reinterpretation, Ali Taylor’s exceptional Cathy – and so it is fitting to join forces with the charity that was formed as a result of this still powerful film and had a hand in determining the story Cathy tells.

"We are excited to bring this powerful and compelling story to Edinburgh audiences this summer.”

Graeme Brown, Director of Shelter Scotland, said: "We are delighted to be supporting Cardboard Citizens’ run during this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe – especially as they are presenting their acclaimed Cathy production.

"For Shelter Scotland the original Cathy Come Home depicts all too clearly the human tragedy and suffering caused by bad housing and homelessness that was – and still is – being faced by thousands of people in Scotland."

Brown added: "Great progress has been made in terms of legislation, support services and the quality of housing since Cathy Come Home was first screened, but the stark reality is that we still have a long way to go, with many of the failings of the housing system that led to Shelter Scotland being formed in 1968 still existing today.

"Cardboard Citizens’ production of Cathy is a chilling reminder of the tragedy of homelessness and that, as the impact of low wages, the high cost of housing and harsh welfare reforms hit the poorest and most vulnerable in our society today, we should not be complacent about what still needs to be done to ensure everyone in Scotland has access to a safe, secure and affordable home."

• To enquire about £1 tickets for homeless and ex-homeless people or organisations, email mail@cardboardcitizens.org.uk