Tickets are now on sale and the venue moved for the Saturday night performance at this year’s Shrewsbury International Street Theatre Festival (SISTF). 

The Moonlight Madness show, featuring Woody Bop Muddy and his Record Graveyard, previously booked for the castle will now take place in the grounds of Old St Chad’s church, Belmont in Shrewsbury’s town centre. The move is a result of archaeological investigations taking place in the castle as part of the work Shropshire Council has carried out in preparation for a permanent fire escape to cater for the increasing numbers of events held in the grounds.

Joy Durrant, festivals development officer at Shropshire Council, said: “Shropshire Council has been working in consultation with English Heritage to build a new and permanent fire escape for Shrewsbury Castle. The fire escape will be built later this year after the prep work and associated archaeology is complete. This does mean some disruption to public entertainment at the castle. However, the Summer Season plays have relocated to a wonderful site at Shrewsbury High School and the Street Theatre Festival is holding its Saturday night performance at Old St Chad’s."

Festival director Bill Ferguson is happy with the move. He said: “Sometimes in an old town like Shrewsbury, archaeologists make discoveries that are important to the historical understanding of such a town. We have moved Woody Bop Muddy’s show to Old St Chad’s, which will serve as a fantastic location and ironically very appropriate as Woody’s show is entitled the Record Graveyard!”

As well as Midnight Madness in the Castle, there are four stage or circle areas in and around Shrewsbury town centre, where each circle hosts an eclectic roster of performers providing six shows per day over the three days of SISTF.

Tickets for Moonlight Madness in Old St Chad’s on Saturday 04 September are £10 and available from The Lion Hotel, Write Here, The Wheatsheaf pub and Petit Delice in Shrewsbury town centre or by writing to SISTF, 8 Olive Cottages, Shrewsbury, SY3 8QW - all cheques payable to Shrewsbury International Street Theatre Festival.

More information about SISTF can be found on the website at www.shrewsburystreetfest.co.uk and the Facebook site – Shrewsbury International Street Theatre Festival.