THE Worcester-based Melting Pot Theatre Company returns to the city's historic Greyfriars building in August with a treat for Shakespeare fans - the comic masterpiece that is Twelfth Night. The company will perform in the walled garden of the 15th century merchant's house on Friar Street, as they have done for the past two years, as part of the Worcester Festival.

Formed in 2000 with the Millennium Arts Festival, Melting Pot first performed in the gardens of The Commandery with The Herbal Bed, a play about Shakespeare's daughter. Despite taking place during the wettest July for decades, both the play and the outdoor format were a success and the following year the company performed A Midsummer Night's Dream at the same location, this time in the sunshine.

Othello and The Tempest were the next works to be tackled, and by 2004 the company - now utilising the lovely setting of The Greyfriars - had become a permanent fixture on the Worcester Festival calendar. Last year Melting Pot also performed Pinter's Betrayal at the city's Arts Workshop and hopes to return there at some point in the future.

Local actors are used as much as possible, and Melting Pot also tries to give opportunities to young people in the design and stage management aspects of the plays.

With live music and lots of laughs, Twelfth Night will be directed in the style that Melting Pot is known for - lively, well-spoken, funny, outrageous, and just that little bit different.

Director Steve Quick provides a brief synopsis of the play:

"Orsino fancies Olivia, who doesn't fancy him but does fancy his servant, who just happens to be a girl dressed as a boy. She in turn can't fancy Olivia but does fancy Orsino, who doesn't know she's a girl! In the middle of this is a battle between the house steward and Olivia's cousin which nearly comes to blows, a knight who is after Olivia but who has even less chance than Orsino, and then just as things cannot get any funnier, in walks a twin to Orsino's servant! And he really is a boy!"

Twelfth Night runs from Tuesday, August 15 to Saturday, August 19. Performances start at 8pm, although the doors will be open from 7.15pm for picnickers - bring your own chairs, rugs etc. The production is entirely in the open and will continue in all but the most inclement weather!

Tickets cost £12 (£10 conc.) and are available from 01905 611247, along with directions to The Greyfriars.