LIVE theatre, dance and music will be performed in unusual venues over the summer

Arts organisation Chester Performs has announced the summer season for Soapbox, the city’s new programme of contemporary performance and film.

The lack of a city theatre means having to be inventive by making the most of Chester’s historic buildings.

Chester Performs says the schedule will feature “an eclectic mix of art forms” showcasing dance, theatre, music, film, spoken word, physical theatre and live art.

Programme manager Amber Knipe said: “As an organisation we wanted to offer a regular programme of contemporary performance and film in the city – this has meant occupying some of the city’s more unusual settings”.

The first Soapbox event, on Thursday, May 28, is a double bill of music and poetry, in the fairytale setting of Chester’s 700 year old Water Tower entitled The Mystery Workshop.

It will feature Rebecca Joy Sharp’s performance of original spoken-word and folk-influenced harp compositions. This will be followed by a recitation of Eleanor Rees’s acclaimed poem Eliza and the Bear performed by Cathy Butterworth with Sharp's original harp score.

Bristol-based live art company Action Hero will re-create favourite scenes from classic Westerns through interactive performance at Alexander’s Jazz Theatre Bar on Thursday June 11.

The final instalment of the summer season is award winning documentary Man on Wire, at St Olave’s Church.