Shropshire Magazine

A wide range of arts events are featured in the biennial festival.

By Shirley Tart

It is a tremendous commitment and, every two years, an unqualified success. Since each Much Wenlock Festival takes around 18 months to create, then supercharge and put in place, you can see that for some it becomes almost a full-time job!

Not least, for Pippa Walker who lives in the centre of this ancient town. In her first year as festival chairman, Pippa is a natural enthusiast for the arts extravaganza which transforms and enhances the Shropshire town for three exciting weeks every two years.

Three weeks is a long time for one small market town to stage this type of festival. That it does so with great success is a real tribute to everyone involved. The Shakespearean centrepiece, which takes place throughout the middle week (June 14-19 for the 2010 festival) on the church green is worthy of any piece of drama anywhere.

And this year, the Shropshire Drama Company performs the enduring Romeo and Juliet with actors who will be familiar to Much Wenlock audiences, joined by some newcomers.

They successfully staged open auditions for the star roles last September, when Michael Beasley and Zoe Vernon (featured on this month’s cover) were chosen from an impressive group of young people who turned up at Shrewsbury’s Theatre Severn.

• For more details of this year’s festival, see the print version of The Shropshire Magazine. Book tickets on www.muchwenlockfestival.co.uk or call festival box offices at Penny Farthing (01952 728165), The Edge Arts Centre (01952 728509) and Theatre Severn (01743 281281).