Curtain to go up on Norwich’s Hostry Festival tonight

The curtain will tonight go up on an 11-day Norfolk festival packed full of theatre, music, art and more.

The launch of the 2013 Hostry Festival. Organisers from left, Stash Kirkbride, Rebecca Chapman, Peter Beck, and Peter Barrow, with the model of the set for the main play, Ibsen's A Doll's House. Picture: Denise Bradley - Credit: copyright: Archant 2013

The Hostry Festival is returning to Norwich Cathedral's Hostry for the third year, and festival founder Stash Kirkbride said he could not wait to share the eclectic arts programme with audiences. The festival kicks off tonight at 7pm with the launch of the My Norfolk visual arts exhibition featuring 12 works inspired by our county. The launch is free to attend, and everyone is welcome.

The launch of the 2013 Hostry Festival. The organisers, volunteers, sponsors and patrons of this year's Hostry Festival. Picture: Denise Bradley - Credit: copyright: Archant 2013

The whole festival includes 22 projects, and Ibsen's play A Doll's House is the headline production. Among some of the other highlights are: a new play inspired by Ibsen called Starlings on the Green; a Chamber Orchestra Anglia concert; a night of dinner and jazz with Norfolk group Cyan Traces; a Norfolk Authors in Profile event featuring Rose Tremain, Louis de Bernières, Hilton Pashley and Andrew Cowan; work by inclusive theatre company Total Ensemble; and a BBC Radio Norfolk show broadcast live from the Hostry Festival.

Mr Kirkbride said tickets were selling well and he hoped lots of people would enjoy the 2013 programme.

He said: 'Audiences will see a high standard of work in a unique building that gets transformed into a performance space for two weeks. They will see performers just starting out, people returning to performance and people who have just graduated. 'There are lots of people with different levels of experience coming together for the festival, and we hope people will enjoy being entertained. It is exciting how the festival has grown so much. I'm excited and cannot wait to share it with everybody.'

Mr Kirkbride said the festival was the result of a lot of hard work by dedicated volunteers and sponsors, and he said he wanted to say a big thank-you to everyone involved.

• The Hostry Festival runs until November 3. For more about events and to book tickets, visit www.hostryfestival.org or call 01603 598676. Tonight's My Norfolk exhibition launch starts at Norwich Cathedral's Hostry at 7pm. Entry is free.