MALVERN Festival’s 80th anniversary celebrations get underway next month with a range of musical and theatrical events, including the premiere of a brand new play, a Gilbert and Sullivan opera and a series of classical concerts.

The festival gets underway this weekend with the finals of the Young Musician of Malvern on Sunday, May 31, with the region’s budding talent battling it out for the coveted title. The evening starts at 7.30pm and entry is free. Catch these top musicians of the future while you can.

Monday, June 1, brings a wine tasting evening to Malvern Theatres, hosted by wine connoisseur and former Worcester rugby player Nick Baker. Teams will compete for prizes in a tasting and trivia competition.

HMS Pinafore sails into port on Tuesday, June 2. This Gilbert and Sullivan classic stars Coronation Street favourite John Savident as Sir Joseph Porter. One of the highlights of the festival, this hilarious tale of love, hypocrisy and mistaken identity is about a Captain’s daughter who falls in love with a common sailor even though she is already pledged to the head of the British Navy. Enjoy the frivolity and satire of G&S and some of their most popular songs.

The opera runs from Tuesday to Saturday, June 2-6, with evening performances at 8pm and Wednesday and Saturday matinees at 2.30pm.

Another first for the Malvern Festival will be the live broadcasts from the Royal Opera House and this June brings the ballet Ondine. The whole Royal Ballet Company take part in bringing the romantic and tragic story of sea spirit Ondine and sailor Palemon to life in a ballet set on and beneath stormy seas. Ondine will be broadcast live on Wednesday, June 3.

The play Jitters, a light comedy drama, written by Malvern writer Nick Wilkes, was specially commissioned by Malvern Festival and will be performed by Malvernbard, a Malvern-based theatrical production company.

It will premiere on Thursday, June 4. It follows the life of Chris Station, who after a bitter divorce has re-entered the world of dating and could soon be walking down the aisle for a second time. Will he make it? Or will nerves get the better of him?

The festival offers the opportunity for audiences to spend an evening with renowned thespian Sir Donald Sinden on Sunday, June 7. Sir Donald will discuss his long and successful acting career, including time with the Royal Shakespeare Company, on the West End stage and on television.

The festival also has three orchestral concerts. The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Carlo Rizzi with barry Douglas on piano, plays on Saturday, June 6, with a programme including Brahms’s Piano Concerto No 2.

David Curtis conducts the Orchestra of the Swan on Wednesday, June 10, with Mark Bebbington on piano and the CBSO plays on Saturday, June 13.

For more information call the theatre on 01684 892277.