Rye Festival bringstwo weeks of quality

Other opening events on Saturday include a literary talk at Lamb House and a classical concert at St Mary’s Church.

It gets underway a packed festival fortnight with events happening every day.

On Saturday at 3pm and 4.30pm is a free Punch and Judy show with added magic. It takes place in the yard outside the Fletcher Centre in Lion Street.

On Sunday afternoon there is a further event for children and families – a fabulous puppet show by Idol Rich Theatre at 3pm in the Community Centre based on Aesop’s Fables.

This is the first year that the majority of the literary events will be held in a marquee in Lamb House garden – the home of Henry James.

A full series of classical music concerts starts on Saturday at 7.30pm in St Mary’s with a symphony concert by Euphonia – the orchestra of young professional musicians conducted by Alasdair Kitchen and featuring gifted young violinist Tamsin Waley-Cohen.

Literary events at Lamb House include a wry look at the English social season by Sophie Campbell pm Monday 16; a look at the Profumo Scandal on its 50th anniversary by Richard Davenport-Hines on Wednesday 18; while biographer Michael Holroyd looks at the motor car and its enduring glamour over the years on Friday 20.

Kanda Bongo Man flies in from South Africa to play at Rye Community Centre on Tuesday 17. An evening of pulsing rhythm and singing guitars will challenge the audience not to get on its feet and dance.

Guitar playing bluesman Kelly Joe Phelps is over from the States on a UK tour and plays Rye College on Thursday 19 his gig on Thursday 19, while highly respected Home Service will bring the very best of British folk music to Rye College on Friday 20.

Festival brochures are widely available at shops, pubs, galleries, and information centres around the town as well as the Box Office in Phillips and Stubbs, in Cinque Ports Street.

The Box Office is open for ticket sales between 9.30am and 1.00pm every Monday to Saturday. For more information call 01797 224442 or go to www.ryeartsfestival.co.uk.