SWORD-FIGHTING and blood-sucking are set to entertain audiences when two plays are staged next week.

The Roses Theatre, in Tewkesbury's Sun Street, will come to life with music and comedy when it stages Vampires Rock and Spud Pirate.

The former is set in the future in the year 2030 in New York, where the undead are lurking on every street corner.

"Out of the shadows steps the supremely evil yet charismatic vampire Baron Von Rockula, owner of the 'Live and Let Die' club," explained a spokeswoman for the theatre.

"He has been asleep for the last 200 years but now he's awake and he has a mission - to find himself a bride.

"Not just any old bride but one who will be willing to agree to be his queen, put up with eternal immortality and live forever!"

The audience is kept entertained as he attempts to find an innocent, beautiful and unsuspecting victim who isn't averse to suffering puncture wounds to the neck, who'll give up cooking with garlic and who fancies herself as the next Mrs Von Rockula.

The musical comedy, to be staged on Saturday, February 19, stars the award-winning Steve Steinman who last appeared at the Roses in his uncanny incarnation as Meat Loaf, in the Meat Loaf Story.

He has been described as a man with a "unique, dry sense of humour who really brings the story of 'Vampires Rock' to life".

He is aided and abetted by a spell-binding cast of musicians who blast their way through classic rock anthems, including songs made famous by Meatloaf, Rainbow, Bon Jovi, Queen, White Snake, Europe, Bonnie Tyler, Cher and Alice Cooper.

The Roses Theatre spokeswoman added: "The whole experience can only be described as a surreal, tongue in cheek, Rocky Horror-meets-Dracula at a rock concert.

"But if you like your shows with lots of leather, plenty of audience participation, classic rock anthems with a bit of bite and you don't mind losing your soul to rock and roll then I think you'll enjoy this!"

Then on Thursday, February 17, the theatre will stage the puppet show Spud Pirate, aimed at entertaining three to eight year olds and their families.

It's promised to be a story of sword fighting, heroism, and friendship on the high seas, and the hero of the tale is Spud - a boy unable to talk who sets off on a quest for treasure and along the way becomes a brave pirate.

While his friend Bruno Bear struggles to overcome his seasickness, cowardly Spud must save a beautiful mermaid from the evil clutches of bad pirate, Black Jack.

Tickets for both shows can be obtained by calling the theatre's box office on 01684 295074.