THE Courtyard Theatre in Hereford has announced details of its exciting new season.

Household names, hard-hitting drama and fringe art productions feature in a line up with something for every taste.

The Red Shift Theatre Company provides a highlight of the drama season. Get Carter tells a shocking tale of sin, revenge and redemption in the criminal underworld of a northern steel town in 1971.

The show, on Tuesday, January 24, at 7.30pm, promises to be dark, bruising theatre, with a stunning soundtrack featuring The Rolling Stones and The Kinks (Tickets £7 to £11).

On Monday, February 20, at 7.45pm drama fans can enjoy a double bill of plays by Nobel Literature Prize winning playwright Harold Pinter when the European Arts Company presents A Slight Ache and The Lover (Tickets £9.50, concs £8,50).

For a lighter evening why not enjoy music from popular West Country group The Wurzels on Saturday, January 28, at 7.30pm (Tickets £5 to £11.50).

The all-singing, all-strumming Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, which performed at this year's Glastonbury festival, will be at the Courtyard on Friday, February 3, at 8pm (Tickets £13 to £16).

In Rumble, a piece of urban dance theatre based on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, the cast of young hip-hop dancers will perform the exhilarating story from two enormous scaffolding towers that dominate the stage.

It comes to the Courtyard on Friday, March 3, at 7.30pm (Tickets £8 to £14).

Events for younger audiences include Sooty's Izzy Wizzy Holiday Show on Sunday, March 12, at 2pm and 5pm (Tickets £4.50 to £8).

A busy comedy schedule will keep audiences laughing right into spring.

In addition to the fortnightly Courtyard Comedy Club, veteran stand-up comic Mark Steel will be hitting the stage on Tuesday, March 23, at 8pm (Tickets £12, concs £10).

Bafta nominated Mark is a regular columnist for The Independent, and his show The Mark Steel Lectures returns to the BBC for a third series next year.

Other highlights include An Audience with Barry Norman, which sees the small screen icon tell all about a host of silver screen stars on Tuesday, March 30, at 7.30pm (Tickets £13, concs £11.50).

For tickets and further information about all shows call 0870 1122330.