DONNA JOINS FESTIVAL BIG BAND

ESP’s latest featured Perfect Ten Success Story – actress and singer Donna Steele – will be making an appearance back in the city this weekend at the Peterborough Festival.

The former Kings School pupil, who’s enjoyed a successful stage career, is featured in the current issue of ESP in a series of features focussing on local talent. Now you can see her perform live in her home city when she takes part in one of two big band concerts in Central Park on Saturday June 20.

The Key Theatre’s musical director Steve Hession will be hoping to wow the crowds at Central Park with his Big Swing Band on the opening day of the Peterborough Festival on the main stage at 6.30pm, followed by the headline act,  The Jive Aces  from 8.45pm.

Steve will be joined by guest vocalists Donna Steele and Nicole Lawrence, who are both from Peterborough, and Lance Ellington who appears on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing. Former King’s School pupil and West End Star Donna is well known locally for her many performances in shows at the Key Theatre and for starring in touring productions such as Thoroughly Modern Millie and Jolson.

Also entertaining the crowds on Saturday  June 20 will be local bands The Brays, The One Eyed Cats and the ESP Dance Crew. Young people will also be showing off their talents in a Peterborough’s Youth Got Talent contest organised by Peterborough City Council’s young people’s service.

Students from Stanground College will be performing and Peterborough’s Poet Laureate Keely Mills will host poetry workshops for children. There will also be dance and face painting workshops for children presented by Popblast.

On Sunday June 21, entertainment will include performances by Rumba Havana Salsa, Peterborough Community Gospel Choir, Westwood Music Society and local soul, reggae and R’n'B band The Hardaway Family and Peterborough scouts and guides. The City of Peterborough Symphony Orchestra will take centre stage from 7.30pm.

Throughout both days people will be able to watch local artists at work in a Peterborough Artists Open Studios tent. Peterborough Sports Lounge is providing a marquee full of plasma TVs and a big screen on which people will be able to watch the weekend’s major sporting events including the British Grand Prix, the British Lions and the Twenty20 Cricket World Cup. Peterborough United players, Olympic gymnastic bronze medallist Louis Smith and the captain of England’s world cup winning ladies cricket team Charlotte Edwards will also be there.

Local radio station Heart FM will be running DJ workshops and there’ll be a chill out zone for parents.

Grab a brochure for the full line up for the festival line-up, which is available from the Key Theatre, Tourist Information Centre, libraries and other outlets. For more information, call the festival info-line on (01733) 207200 or email festival@peterborough.gov.uk