PEOPLE travelled from across the world to visit a major theatrical festival in a North-East town at the weekend.

Organisers of the Jabberwocky Market say this season’s event, in Darlington, was the strongest one yet as performers and visitors enjoyed four days of world-class theatre.

A number of small-scale, highly regarded productions were staged at the Friends Meeting House on Skinnergate as the festival returned to Darlington for the fourth time.

Named in honour of Lewis Carroll’s fabled creature, the Jabberwocky Market was staged in association with the world-famous Battersea Arts Centre (BAC), recently damaged in a huge fire.

Highlights of this weekend’s festival included Lorraine and Alan, the first play to have been staged at BAC following the blaze.

The funny yet poignant reinterpretation of the classic Selkie myth gave centre stage to a set salvaged from the fire and played to a packed house on Saturday evening.

Earlier in the day, audiences were captivated by four-person play The Frights, a tale of a charity worker attempting to settle at home following a harrowing kidnap ordeal.

Throughout the weekend, the Voodoo Cafe served as the festival’s nominated bar and attracted a lively crowd with themed cocktails and food.

Darlington-born festival producer Caroline Pearce said this month’s event proved the Jabberwocky Market had gained a dedicated following and was continuing to attract new crowds – with some people travelling from Europe to attend.

She said: “It’s been really great and we’ve seen new audiences come and be inspired by the festival, get involved and bring their friends.

“The shows were amazing and we’re going from strength to strength, reaching a much wider range of people.

“We’ve got a real core audience now, definite followers – the artists and performers were all commenting on that and on how welcome they felt in the town.

“Jabberwocky Market first felt like a project I was running with a lot of helpful people but now it feels as though it has its own identity and people have got a real relationship with it.”

The next instalment of the Jabberwocky Market is set to be staged in Darlington from Thursday, October 1 until Sunday, October 4.

Full details of the festival will be released in coming months but for information in the mean time, visit jabberwockymarket.org.uk