THE programme of events for this summer s Stevenage Festival has been announced. Supported by The Comet, the festival will run throughout June, with a fortnight of performances at The Gordon Craig Theatre starting on Saturday, June 13. The festival, which

THE programme of events for this summer's Stevenage Festival has been announced.

Supported by The Comet, the festival will run throughout June, with a fortnight of performances at The Gordon Craig Theatre starting on Saturday, June 13.

The festival, which was founded in 1994 and takes place every two years, aims to provide a showcase for local amateur arts groups.

Productions at The Gordon Craig Theatre will include Karl Jenkins' The Armed Man by Stevenage Choral Society and Stevenage Symphony Orchestra on June 13, and West Side Story by Fusion Community Arts on June 19 and 20.

The Lytton Players will present an Old Tyme Music Hall on June 14, and the Knebworth Players will put on a production of Agatha Christie's A Murder is Announced on June 25 and 26.

Primary and secondary schools, dance schools, music groups and youth theatre groups will also be performing at The Gordon Craig, and the fortnight will be rounded off when Last Night of the Proms comes to Stevenage on June 27, complete with flags, balloons and audience participation.

Alongside the Gordon Craig performances will be a fringe programme of smaller arts events around the town, ranging from patchwork to paintings to poetry.

Author John Julius Norwich will be visiting John Henry Newman School to talk about Byzantium on June 16, and bestselling author and Knebworth resident Ken Follett will be talking about his latest novel, World Without End, at Holy Trinity Church in Stevenage Old Town on June 26.

Festival chairman Ron Walker said: "We've put a cracking few weeks of entertainment together that literally has something for everyone and takes place right here on your doorstep.

"We all know that times are tough at the moment for many people and for that reason we have kept this year's ticket prices firmly under control. "Almost all the Gordon Craig events will cost less than �10 a ticket, with some performances and most of the fringe events costing even less.

"Stevenage has got some high quality talent and this is your opportunity to see it in action."

For the full programme of events, visit www.stevenage-festival.co.uk

For tickets to the main events, call 08700 131030.