A CHANCE to share the stage with stars of the hit West End musical Les Miserables is one of the highlights of the summer festival at Malvern Theatres.

Beyond the Barricade, a concert tribute to the best of the songs from the shows, is coming back to Malvern following three previous sell-out visits.

But this year they are bringing something extra. The cast, Andy Reiss, David Fawcett and Rebecca Vere, all veterans of Les Mis, will be leading a three-day workshop in music theatre.

"We've done them elsewhere and they have always been a great success," said Mr Fawcett. "It attracts drama students and amateur dramatics people of course, but also people who are just interested in the theatre and musicals."

Participants will take part in intensive rehearsals and gain a unique insight into the way a major musical is staged. At the end of three days, participants will put on a performance in the Forum of key scenes from Les Miserables, to which family and friends can be invited.

"It's a rare chance because it will be years before Les Mis is released for amateur groups to perform," he said.

"Some of it's quite harrowing stuff so we've imposed a lower age limit of 16. It'll be the experience of a lifetime for anyone interested in the theatre."

Beyond the Barricade is on August 25 and the workshop on August 22-24.

Two very different dramas are on offer during the festival. On July 2-7, there is the chance to see Jane Asher and Michael Pennington in Joe Orton's black comedy classic What The Butler Saw. In contrast is the Royal National Theatre's award-winning drama Copenhagen, by Michael Frayn, which enjoyed a two-year run in the West End. Set in 1941, it centres on the meeting of physicists Werner Heisenberg and Niels Bohr and has been described by one critic as a "moral thriller not to be missed". It is on August 22-September 1.

Opera and classical music fans will relish the return of the European Chamber Orchestra who visit Malvern on July 19-22 with their production of Rigoletto. And cellist Julian Lloyd Webber will perform with the London Mozart Players on August 31. The programme will include Haydn's C major Cello Concerto and works by Mozart and Samuel Barber.

That old favourite, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is back on August 6-11, following previous sell-out visits. Kit and the Widow will be back and will be joined by mezzo-soprano Melanie Marshall for their own idiosyncratic look at opera on September 1.

The Syd Lawrence Orchestra visit the Forum on August 18 to pay tribute to the music of Glenn Miller. For the youngsters, the popular Bananas in Pyjamas visit on August 14.

Finally, the Forum will hosts its own film festival, from August 10-16, featuring movies such as Les Enfants Du Sicle and Memento. For more details and bookings, call 01684 892277.