A NORTH Herefordshire theatre company has been taking centre stage at the Sheffield Arena, writes RICHARD PRIME

About Face, one of just a handful of UK theatre companies to employ only actors with learning disabilities, has premiered its brand new theatre piece 'Bird of Tomorrow' at the Gateway Festival.

The festival has been giving people with learning disabilities the chance to perform in national venues for more than 25 years, but this is the first year that groups from outside Gateway have been invited to perform at the event.

"It's a great opportunity for us to meet and perform alongside other theatre groups from across the country," said About Face's artistic director Jess MacKenzie. "There are very few theatre companies like us in the UK and, as far as we know, we are unique in being the only one based in a rural area."

'Bird of Tomorrow' has been devised by the company from a tale by Alison Uttley and uses original music, with costumes and backdrop designed by one of the actors, John Stuchbery.

County audiences will get their chance to see 'Bird of Tomorrow' as part of the Leominster Priory Millennium Festival on Saturday at 2pm and at other Herefordshire venues during the summer, including The Courtyard on June 30-July 1 as part of Jigsaw 2000.