Award-winning acts, local talent and a flying ironing board take centre stage as festival returns from 19–22 June

Wells is getting ready to laugh, cheer and maybe squirm a little as the Wells Theatre Festival returns next week with a packed programme of comedy, community theatre and a touch of Shakespearean controversy.

Running from 19 to 22 June, the festival once again transforms the 15th-century Bishop's Barn into a performance space, offering audiences a rare chance to see inside one of the city's most iconic Grade I listed buildings — while watching some seriously offbeat entertainment.

Top of the comedy bill is Hannah Maxwell with her award-winning show I, AMDRAM — a joyous, laugh-out-loud tribute to amateur dramatics, complete with audience participation and tales of her family's 90-year history with the Welwyn Thalians Musical and Dramatic Society. Expect sequins, spotlight dreams and a warm send-up of the drama queens we all know and love.

Also on the line-up is Cosmic Twegheads, from the team behind 2024's hit Shaggy Dogs Tale. Described as a "crazy ride," the show follows Jack and Jordan on a surreal voyage into space — aboard a flying ironing board. Yes, really. Expect wild gags and high-energy madness from a double act that doesn't know the meaning of "too far."

And no Wells Theatre Festival would be complete without its annual community production, this year tackling The Taming of the Shrew. Artistic Director Ros Johnson and her cast are not shying away from the play's more problematic elements, with its well-known themes of misogyny. Instead, they're meeting the text head-on — while keeping hold of the sharp wit and chaotic energy that has made it one of Shakespeare's most enduring comedies.

The festival is supported by none other than Dame Judi Dench and Sir Richard Eyre, both long-time patrons.

For full programme details and ticket info, visit www.wellstheatrefestival.org.