This year’s Ripon Theatre Festival will take place from in July with five days and six nights crammed with events and activities.

The festival takes place from Tuesday, July 2 to Sunday, July 7, at various venues around the city and, with interest in tickets expected to be high, six of the festival’s events will go on sale on Saturday, February 10.

Highlights include Britain’s leading radical theatre company, Red Ladder, a cabaret act featuring the music of Victoria Wood and a return visit from Barrie Rutter OBE. This summer’s programme will see Newby Hall as a new location for festival favourites and open-air specialists Illyria and the garden at The Old Deanery will also provide the perfect backdrop for theatre al fresco as the venue for the festival’s Sunday night Shakespearean finale.

Darlington and Stockton Times: Red Ladder Theatre Company's new musical comedy We're Not Going Back looks at the 1984-85 miners' strike through the eyes of three sisters in a South Yorkshire pit village, with, from left Stacey Sampson, as Mary, Claire Marie Seddon as

The first release of tickets includes Look After Your Knees a beautiful and touching one-woman show from up-and-coming artist Natalie Bellingham, Shakespeare’s Royals from Barrie Rutter (plus special guest), Looking for Me Friend – the Music of Victoria Wood and We’re Not Going Back – Red Ladder’s thought-provoking musical comedy set during the 1984-5 miners’ strike. Tickets also go on sale this weekend for open air family theatre at Newby Hall (The Adventures of Doctor Doolittle) and Shakespeare’s As You Like It at The Old Deanery.

Full details about all the festival’s plans including street theatre, pop-up events and free family activities will be announced at the official launch on Thursday, March 21. Tickets are already on sale for this event, which features comedy cook, George Egg with his latest show Set Menu. Tickets include the show, refreshments and festival information.

For more information, visit www.ripontheatrefestival.org.