You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to the Canterbury Festival – you name it, it’s there, from comedy to drama, music to art and performance to walks.

We’ve picked a tiny selection of events through the first week, which showcase what’s on offer.

Opening night - Saturday, October 17

This show comes with a warning: definitely contains nuts. Las Vegas veteran Peggy Sued provides the opening night cabaret at the Spiegeltent at the Spitfire Ground in Canterbury. The former Playboy bunny makes her pilgrimage to the festival with her Variety Pack of pals, who will be performing some spine-tingling acrobatics. The show is topped off by Peggy’s own side-splitting, heartbreaking stories from the Sunset Strip, delivered while hula-hooping and with Playboy publisher Hugh Hefner’s favourite cocktail balanced on her head... yes, really.

Details: The Festival Spiegeltent at 7pm. Tickets £14. Suitable for 16s and over.

Sunday, October 18

The East Kent Rock Choir, now in their 10th year, will be joined by velvety vocal trio The Rockabellas, who promise an evening of killer heels, killer curves and killer harmonies. Directed by Jonathan Grosberg, the contemporary group, whose members come from across east and south Kent, will be performing a repertoire that ranges from classic rock through to Motown. Their popularity is constantly increasing.

Details: Shirley Hall, Canterbury at 7.30pm. Tickets £12.

Monday October 19

Female Gothic, written and performed by Rebecca Vaughan, is a one-woman show exploring macabre novels by Victorian women. It’s a chilling, immersive and captivating show that celebrates the incredibly popular female writers of that era. The show is staged by Dyad Productions and directed by Guy Masterson.

Details: St Mary’s Hall Studio Theatre, Canterbury at 7.30pm. Tickets £15.

Tuesday, October 20

They juggle and joke, jump and jive – quirky quartet Bowjangles will be bringing their new show On The Box! to the festival. The production is based around a day in the life of a TV set left on all day. The energetic group tackle Strictly and a very literal soap opera, and even manage to turn the weather forecast into something to get excited about. With drama, music, comedy and singing, it’s daytime TV but not as you know it.

Details: In the Spiegeltent at 7pm. Tickets £14.

Wednesday, October 21

Immerse yourself in theatre – quite literally. Earthfall, Stories from a Crowded Room puts the audience in the thick of the action, by immersing them in a specially constructed room with the stories developing all around.

Details: At the Gulbenkian Theatre, Canterbury, from Wednesday October 21 at 5.30pm, to Saturday October 24. Tickets from £7.

Thursday, October 22

Warm the cockles of even the coldest heart of stone with It’s a Wonderful Life, adapted by Tony Palermo and directed by Guy Retallack. In a new production, the magical story of Frank Capra’s iconic film is retold as a radio play, complete with sound effects created live on stage. It’s the iconic story of idealist George Bailey, whose dreams look set to be dashed by small-town scandal. Alone on a bridge, he decides everyone in his life would be better off without him… Or would they?

Details: The Marlowe Theatre at 7.30pm. Tickets from £15.

FESTIVAL DETAILS

Whatever it is, they’ve got it covered. The Canterbury Festival covers every genre going and is an independent charity. One of the most important cultural events in the South East, it attracts an audience of 60,000 people of all ages.

The opening event will bring the streets alive with the sound of music and street performance at noon in Longmarket, Canterbury High Street.

For a full list of all events going on at various venues until Sunday October 31, visit www.canterburyfestival.co.uk or you can call the festival office on 01227 452853.