SHAKESPEARE for youngsters and a mystical retelling of Snow White will be among the highlights of a children’s theatre festival.

The Take Off festival will feature shows and events across County Durham from October 19 to 25.

Produce by Theatre Hullabaloo and supported by Durham County Council, the festival features workshops, art and family events.

The Gala Theatre in Durham is hosting several shows, including Pocket Merchant – an hour-long version of Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice.

Award-winning dance company Ballet Lorent will present a family-friendly version of Snow White based on Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy’s retelling of the classic fairytale.

The show is the second in Ballet Lorent’s planned trilogy of Brothers Grimm fairytales, following the highly successful Rapunzel production.

Carol Ann Duffy said: “It’s a joy and a thrill to be collaborating once again with Liv Lorent and her creative team and to be bringing another seminal fairytale to family audiences who love dance or who have yet to discover it.”

Other highlights include Bear and Butterfly, a story of love, loss and friendship told through puppetry and live music; and Tree, a about a man who has to wait until his peach tree bears fruit to satisfy his hunger.

A Mano is a touching story told in clay and The Falcon’s Malteser is a slapstick comedy featuring an inept private detective.

The Gala will also host Welcome to Octoville, an interactive art installation partly constructed from discarded objects.

Full details of the Take Off festival are available at takeofffestival.org.uk