LEDBURY Market Theatre brings a mix of drama and music for the late spring, with LADS performing The Herbal Bed from April 22 to April 25, the return to the venue of Beck Siàn and Whalebone on Saturday, May 2, and an evening devoted to Bob Dylan on Saturday, May 9.

The Herbal Bed, a play by Peter Whelan, was written specifically for the Royal Shakespeare Company and is a retelling of a scandal involving Shakespeare’s eldest daughter, which threatens to destroy her marriage to John Hall, a well-loved and respected physician. This passionate human drama, inspired by the few documented facts available, was first performed to critical acclaim at the RSC’s The Other Place in Stratford-upon-Avon. It later transferred to the West End and Broadway. “Absorbing, intelligent and funny,” said The Financial Times.

On Saturday, May 2, Beck Siàn and Whalebone present an evening of acoustic music with Siàn drawing on inspiration from her native Australia to create what she describes as ‘haunted forest music’ performed with voice, guitar, whistle and didgeridoo. Whalebone is a rootsy, folky, funky acoustic trio who perform their own compositions alongside supercharged renditions of traditional music.

Saturday, May 9, sees Bob Dylan And The Poetry Of The Blues. Michael Gray, the author of The Bob Dylan Encyclopaedia and Song & Dance Man III, uses a surprising selection of great records and rare footage to show how hugely Dylan has been inspired by the blues.

To book, call the box office at Ledbury Tourist Information Centre on 01531 636147.