Around 100 writers and a host of familiar names from stage and screen will descend on Dorchester as a free festival of new writing returns to the town.
The Script’s The Thing Festival will take place on Saturday, October 10 and Sunday, October 11, with organisers promising its biggest programme since the event began three years ago.
Celebrating writing for stage, screen, audio and performance, the festival will showcase work from around 100 writers.
Extracts from their scripts will be presented across nine performance spaces at five Dorchester venues: the Corn Exchange, The Sleeping Bear Hotel, Dorset Museum, The King’s Arms and Tom Browns.
The eclectic programme ranges from stories inspired by Dorset’s landscape, myths and folklore to contemporary writing tackling subjects including artificial intelligence, seagulls and speed dating.
Visitors can expect everything from dark comedy and tragedy to family shows and new musicals.
A number of established figures from television, film and theatre will also take part.
Writers appearing include Chris Chibnall, known for Doctor Who, and Ashley Pharoah, whose credits include Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes.
Oriane Messina and Fay Rusling, known for their work on shows including Green Wing and Breeders, will also feature.
Special guests will include Alison Steadman, whose many credits include Gavin & Stacey and Abigail’s Party, alongside Ellie Wallwork of Doctor Who and Call the Midwife and Michelle Collins, known to millions of soap viewers from EastEnders and Coronation Street.
As well as giving audiences the chance to discover new work, organisers say the weekend will offer writers and creators practical advice and opportunities to make connections within the industry.
Festival director Ed Viney said: “For our third Festival we’ve expanded to a whole weekend and packed it full of imaginative, brilliant writing and events.”
“You can plan your own route through the Festival and try and see as many scripts as you can. It really is a fantastic celebration of new work.”
He added that support from local businesses, the Backstage Trust and Maria Björnson Memorial Fund had allowed the festival to remain free.
Mr Viney said the event was aimed both at writers and people who were simply interested in discovering how drama for stage, television and radio is created.
Live music will add to the weekend, with The Flaming Cactus Band performing from 6pm until 8pm on Saturday.
East of Santos will perform at Dorchester Corn Exchange from 11am on Sunday.
Saturday’s programme runs from 10am until 8pm, while events on Sunday run from 10am until 4pm.
All events are free and non-ticketed, meaning visitors can simply turn up and choose which parts of the programme they would like to see.
See dorchesterarts.org.uk for the full programme.