The UK's largest youth drama festival is represented locally by 12 schools, each of whom will stage four different half-hour plays.

Across the country 50 theatres will stage 500 productions of Shakespeare. Each night four local schools stage four different half-hour plays.

The Shakespeare Schools Festival offers young people from every secondary school the opportunity and support to perform abridged productions of Shakespeare's most famous plays in their local professional theatre.

After a training day for teacher/directors, workshops with the UK's National Youth Theatre, and a sixth-month journey of rehearsal, they are now ready to step into the spotlight…

Performances start at 7pm.

Tuesday, October 7:
St Michael's C E High School (Twelfth Night)
Our Lady & St John Catholics Arts College (Macbeth)
Bolton School (As You Like It)
Mount Carmel High School

Wednesday, October 8:
Walton Le Dale Arts College (The Tempest)
Sir Tom Finney Community College (Hamlet)
Worden Sports College (Midsummer Nights Dream)
St Bede's Catholic High School (Macbeth)

Thursday, October 9:
Lostock Hall High School (Macbeth)
Marsden Heights Community College (Romeo & Juliet)
De La Salle School (The Tempest)
Bispham High School (Twelfth Night)