GET ready for an annual Shakespeare festival and ghost walks that will chill you to the bone.

The future of live entertainment in Worcester is entering a whole new era as Huntingdon Arts, the company behind the Swan Theatre and Huntingdon Arts, rebrands and expands.

The company is now called Worcester Live and it will not only be the brains behind the annual Worcester Festival, which starts on Saturday, August 12, but will also take over the popular city Ghost Walk and has plans to stage live entertainment at the newly refurbished Commandery, in Sidbury.

On top of that boss of Classic Hits radio station Muff Murfin has been appointed chairman.

Worcester Live hopes a large scale outdoor performance of Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream next June will capture local people's interest and become a huge annual event held at the historic Commandery.

Director Chris Jaeger said: "It's great to be able to bring all these live events under the management of one company with a name that truly reflects who we are and what we do.

"We have a fantastic experience of running live events throughout the city and really feel that we can use our expertise to provide even more events for the people of Worcester."

In 1995 Mr Jaeger took over Huntindgon Hall when it was in serious financial trouble.

It has become one of the county's leading live music venues and has seen the likes of Van Morrison and Joan Armatrading gracing its stage.

In April 2003 Huntingdon Arts came to the rescue again and saved the Swan Theatre from closure.

The same year the company launched the first ever Worcester Festival which now attracts more than 100,000 people every year.

Mr Jaeger said: "We need to encourage more people to visit our great city and enjoy the wide range of cultural events on offer.

"From the Ghost Walk to Shakespeare at the Commandery, I really hope the people of Worcester get behind these new ventures and support us."