Festival: Theatrefair 99

Ever fancied yourself as a Shakespearean swashbuckler, or harboured a desire to test your tonsils on one of Bill's seminal speeches? This five-day festival is packed with workshops, tours and demonstrations enabling you to share in the magic of the theatre - and perhaps create a little of your own. In Sword Play, for instance, director Terry King deconstructs a stage fight to explain its choreography, while in Finding Your Voice, Andrew Wade, the head of the RSC Voice Department, will provide tips on using your voice effectively in performance. Sessions are pounds 2.50 and there are many free events running throughout the festival. A career desk will also be on hand to point aspiring thesps in the right direction.

Swan Theatre gardens, Waterside, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warks (01789 295623) from Mon until 2 July

Sharon Gethings