Tracey GrayA Norwich street is set to be transformed into a live theatre venue as part of a celebration of the arts event. London Street in Norwich will become a living stage when the UK premiere of La Marea is performed this weekend.Tracey Gray

A Norwich street is set to be transformed into a live theatre venue as part of a celebration of the arts event.

London Street in Norwich will become a living stage when the UK premiere of La Marea is performed this weekend.

The play has been written by Argentinean Mariano Pensotti, a writer and theatre director working mainly in film, video and performance.

The event will feature nine separate stage sets, which will be constructed on street corners and in shop windows, and has a cast of 16 actors.

The actors will act out scenes, but all their thoughts and actions will be projected out in subtitles across the pavements and shop windows.

The scenes which will unfold include a man who has just had a motorbike accident, an insomniac trying to get to sleep, a couple experiencing their first kiss and a man standing on a balcony, escaping the party that rages behind him.

The shops which are set to become theatre stages when the plays are performed at 9pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, are Jarrold's, Habitat, Pilch and hairdressing saloon, Nigel Alexandre.

Jonathan Holloway, artistic director of the Norfolk and Norwich Festival, which has organised the outdoor performance, said: 'Bring-ing an artist of the calibre of Mariano Pensotti to the East of England and working within him to adapt his work so that it responds to the city of Norwich, has been a joy.

'I love this kind of work that is both tender and beautiful in content and bold and spectacular in scope. It is a testament to the support of our partners and stakeholders that we are able to stage work of this quality in this part of the world.'

The event is part of Contemporary Art Norwich (Can), a celebration of international, contemporary visual art which runs until August 31.

As part of Can, other venues across Norwich are holding events. At the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts until Sunday, August 30, the Take A Look at Me Now exhibition is running, featuring the work of 15 artists from Poland.

Norfolk and Norwich Festival is looking for volunteer event assistants for the performances and dress rehearsals for La Marea, which start from today, as well as volunteer crew to help vacate shops on London Street each day.

t For more information, e-mail lamarea@nnfestival.org.uk, and for more information on Contemporary Art Norwich, visit www. contemporaryartnorwich.co.uk.