A STREET theatre show will take place at the weekend as part of the Tall Ships celebrations.

Powerful images, breathtaking lighting effects and spectacular pyrotechnics combine when Spanish theatre company XarXa Teatre performs Veles y Vents in a free show in the car park of Hartlepool's Maritime Experience at 9.45pm on Saturday.

Veles y Vents is inspired by a poem, and celebrates the wonders of the Mediterranean Sea. It also warns about what might happen to the sea if man continues to pollute it.

XarXa Teatre has been drawing rave reviews for its shows, which combine visual spectacles with the excitement of fiestas, since 1983.

The group's reputation has taken it to more than 30 countries in Europe, Latin America and Africa, and they have performed at events including the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France.

The Veles y Vents performance was commissioned in 1994 for the opening of the Channel Tunnel.

Claire Munroe, of Hartlepool's arts, museums and events service, said: "This is a beautiful and exciting performance for people of all ages and is definitely not one to be missed.

"The show is at its best in darkness, so it is sure to be a magical evening and worth staying out late for."

The Tall Ships visit from Friday to Sunday as part of the SeaBritain festivities - a national celebration of the UK's maritime heritage.

Up to 40 of the world's finest Tall Ships are expected to visit Hartlepool, Middlesbrough and Newcastle over the weekend ahead of their participation in the Tall Ships Race from Newcastle to Norway.

Published: 20/07/2005