A FLAGSHIP theatre has been forced to cancel two of its main launch events due to a lack of interest.

Despite attracting chart-topping boy bands Westlife and A1, Durham's new Gala Theatre has failed to sell enough tickets for marquee performances featuring them.

While Westlife will still headline a star-studded show inside the £14m theatre, on Sunday, the marquee show in the grounds of Durham Sixth Form Centre, where the concert was to be beamed, has been cancelled.

A concert by A1, who were to perform live in the marquee on Saturday, has been postponed until the summer.

A theatre spokeswoman said a lack of ticket sales had made the marquee too expensive. "We had to sell so many tickets to break even, and there hasn't been enough interest," she said.

"We could have sold the theatre tickets ten times over, but people didn't pick up on the outdoor events."

Refunds are available by returning tickets to the Gala Theatre box office, Millennium Place, Durham City, either in person or by post. For more information call 0191-332 4055.

News of the cancellations comes as the first actors prepare to take to the stage of the Gala.

The theatre, which is the centrepiece of Durham's £30m Millennium City development, will welcome its first audience to a performance of Sir Alan Ayckbourn's play GamePlan tonight.

The piece, being performed by Sir Alan's own Stephen Joseph Theatre Company and directed by the playwright himself, is the first in the trilogy, Damsels in Distress.

The following two plays, FlatSpin and RolePlay, will run concurrently with Gameplan until Saturday, February 9.

The theatre's main opening events start with a balloon launch in Millennium Place, outside Gala, at noon on Saturday.

Blue Peter presenter Matt Baker will open Gala's giant screen cinema, where a new version of the Disney classic Beauty and the Beast will be premiered.

Tickets for all shows are available from the box office, now open in the theatre, on 0191-383 0100.