A WORCESTER stage is reopening after being closed for more than two and a half years because it was so badly flooded.

Worcester Arts Workshop, at 21 Sansome Street, has been staging a wide variety of arts events throughout the city while its underground theatre has been closed.

But, after two months of work at a cost of £1,000, the theatre has been refurbished and is again ready to stage art works by local talent.

"The stage is now raised, and if the flood water does come in we can get underneath the stage and pump it out," said Marie Oldaker project assistant at Worcester Arts' Workshop.

The workshop is well known for staging events in the Faithful City's parks which combine visual arts such as dance with activities such as lantern making.

Intimate

Now with the 100-seater theatre, Miss Oldaker hopes the independent workshop, which is funding by Worcester City and Worcestershire County Councils, will provide a home for more locally grown talent.

"A lot of smaller theatre companies like it because it is in the round and has an intimate atmosphere," she said.

The theatre will be officially opened with an event called Artery, which combines music from theatre-music group Colla Voce, with dance from city group DanceFest and a film called 36090 Frames by Matt Dukes, accompanied by DJs Macabe and Mr Miller

Music will also be provided by singer songwriter Jayne Gaze, a band called The Shining Path and DJ Kay, with poetry by Stephen Murphy.

All the acts are from Worcester, except an art installation devoted to food called Eat Up by Preston artist Margaret Barker.

Artery takes place on Saturday, May 31 at 7.30pm and tickets are £3, available on the door.

Miss Oldaker hopes the venue will attract local theatre groups, and on Friday and Saturday, June 20 and 21, writing group Swan Playwrights will be staging three short plays under the title Secrets and Lies.

Tickets are £6.50, £6 concessions, from 01905 21095.