The Communards' Rev Richard Coles to speak at Church Stretton Arts Festival

The Reverend Richard Coles, presenter of Saturday Live on BBC Radio 4, and once a member of The Communards who topped the charts with Don't Leave Me This Way in the 1980s before his career with the Church of England, will be speaking at Church Stretton School on August 10.

His appearance is just one of a range of events for the 50th anniversary of Church Stretton Arts Festival.

Joan Arnfield, one of the organisers of the two-week festival, said tickets for Rev Coles had already sold out but there were plenty of other events taking place at multiple venues in and around the town, with many at the school. The festival also boasts the county's biggest art exhibition, set to open for its first full day today.

The art, crafts and photography exhibition is a showcase for both amateur and professional artists, craft workers and photographers living within a 30-mile radius of Church Stretton. It is set to open from 11am to 6pm today at Church Stretton School, following an opening night last night, and will run until August 13.

Mrs Arnfield said: "Because it's our 50th year we have a number of things on to mark it. One of them is Hats Off to Fifty Years of Festival on Saturday, which will be a revue show with music and songs and lots of laughs.

"The lady who's doing it, Patricia Hartshorne, is fantastic. I saw her in her show Me and Marlene, as Marlene Dietrich, several years ago but in fact she's been back to the festival multiple times.

"Because it's our 50th year she said she would come back and write a show especially for us."

Patricia will be at the school at 7.30pm, and will be accompanied by virtuoso pianist John Miles, recalling past and patrons of the festival in a dazzling array of hats.

She said other highlights this week include Shakespeare's The Tempest by Heartbreak Theatre Company, again at Church Stretton School, tomorrow at 7.30pm.