ROUND-UP: PRIORY VOICES

Birmingham Festival Choral Society will be at Malvern Priory on Saturday at 7.30pm to present a concert of music by British composers. Tickets are available on the door, or in advance from Malvern Tourist Information Centre on 01684 892289.

PRUNELLA'S ROYAL DATE

Prunella Scales, famous as Sybil in TV's Fawlty Towers, is bringing a very different character to life in An Evening with Queen Victoria at the Everyman theatre, Cheltenham, on Thursday, July 7, and Friday, July 8. Call 01242 572573.

HALF-CENTURY GIG

After 50 years in showbiz, Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen will be performing at Worcester's Huntingdon Hall on Friday,

July 1. For more information or tickets call the Huntingdon Arts box office on 01905 611427.

MUSIC FOR THE HEART

With a Song in my Heart will be staged at Worcester's Swan Theatre on Sunday, July 3, featuring music performed by the Elgar Chorale and Great Witley Operatic Society.

Call 01905 611427.

NORTHERN GRIT

The Courtyard, a Herefordshire arts centre, is in the middle of preparing for its next in-house production. Its senior youth theatre group will perform Kes, the story of a young Northern boy who finds an escape from the realities of his life in falconry, from Tuesday, July 26. Call 0870 1122330.

EVERYMAN'S RISING SON

The Everyman theatre in Cheltenham will stage the comedy drama Rising Son in The Other Space from Tuesday, July 5, to Saturday, July 9. Call the box office on 01242 572573.

BACKSTREET EXTRA

Due to demand, the Backstreet Boys have added extra shows to their European tour, which will now include a concert at Birmingham's NEC Arena on Tuesday, October 25. Call 0870 909 4133.

JASPER'S ROCKING

Jasper Carrott is to score another first for Birmingham this autumn with a fantastic new show, Rock With Laughter, which plays Birmingham's NEC Arena on Friday, November 11, and Saturday, November 12. Call 0870 909 4133.

SHOWSTOPPING SONGS

Great Witley Operatic Society is joining forces with the Elgar Chorale of Worcester to perform Showstoppers at The Swan Theatre, Worcester, on Sunday, July 3. Call 01905 611427.

sound of the rat pack

A night of music celebrating the legends Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Junior and Dean Martin will be staged at Malvern Theatres. The Rat Pack Live from Las Vegas will run from Monday, June 20, until Saturday June 25. Call 01684 892277.

WORCESTER Festival is drawing nearer and promises to be the biggest and best ever - featuring 299 events.

Crammed full of acts, from Chas 'n' Dave to Riverdance-style group Celtic Feet, the 24-day festival has something for everyone.

And this year youngsters will be in for a treat, with more than 70 activities planned specially for them.

Chris Jaeger, director of Huntingdon Arts, which is organising the event, said: "Funky face-painters will be on hand to create wild and wacky images you can wear with pride around town." "There will be live puppet theatre, as well as the more traditional Punch and Judy show and live entertainment from Hickory Dickory.

"Expect to see some strange and wonderful sights around the city of Worcester during the festival, including gigantic Alice in Wonderlands, circus clown streetwalkers, a man and his gorilla and the amazing enormous balloon family."

There will also be a wide range of activities for children to take part in, rather than merely watch.

Throughout the festival, which runs from Saturday, August 6, until Monday, August 29, the Swan Theatre will host a series of acting workshops for children aged six to 14.

And budding thespians will be able to create their own play in a week at University College Worcester using the latest in digital imagery.

Dancing fans can join workshops, painters can write graffiti in Brickfields Park, and Kylie wannabes can test their vocal skills with singing coaches.

And those fancying themselves as the next Steven Spielberg can learn all about film-making, with Worcester Action For Youth running workshops that will teach everything from script-writing to editing.

Or you could become the next Indiana Jones, at least for a day, with Raiders of the Lost Park - an adventure event for children aged three to six and their parents, which starts at Cripplegate Park and finishes at UCW.

l For more information or to book tickets, call Huntingdon Arts box office on 01905611427 or log on to www.worcester festival.co.uk