THEATRE Royal Winchester is set to reopen later this month.

Play to the Crowd, the charity behind the theatre, has announced a plethora of socially distanced shows for audiences to enjoy.

Families can be amazed as the time travelling magicians Morgan and West return with their best tricks, frantic frolics and utmost silliest in their Fantastic Family Magic Spectacular (May 29); go on an adventure with a young girl and her seafaring father as they re-imagine the story of a tiny snail’s incredible trip around the world in The Snail and the Whale inspired Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s much-loved picture book (June 18-20); or be wowed by the Card Ninja, Javier Jarquin, as he performs his extreme card-flicking stunts (July 24).

There will be plenty for music lovers too. The Opera Boys bring the biggest songs from the West End and Broadway to Winchester (June 13), The Showstoppers return to transform audience suggestions into an all singing-all dancing musical (June 12), singer-songwriter Gary Edward Jones brings the songs and stories of Paul Simon to life in Something About Simon (July 10) and there’s a spectacular evening of music from the 1950s & 1960s with The Dreamers (formerly Freddie and The Dreamers), The Temple Brothers and Buddy Walker as Buddy Holly in Lollypops and Moptops (June 11). Not forgetting the Welsh brothers and Britain’s Got Talent Champions Richard and Adam (July 18).

Comedy fans can enjoy some great summer shows from the Winchester Comedy Festival featuring Marcus Brigstocke, James Gill and Zoe Lyons; The Noise Next Door: In Charge (July 9) and Ed Byrne (September 6).

A company of young graduate dancers from Ballet Central perform a crowd-pleasing mix of dance pieces by leading choreographers (July 11) and Ballet Theatre UK return with their production of The Snow Queen (November 14).

Woman’s Hour legend Jenni Murray brings an evening of raw and honest conversation on what it’s like to be fat when society dictates that skinny is the norm (September 8), Status Quo lead singer Francis Rossi shares his extraordinary secrets of his 50 plus years in rock ‘n’ roll (September 5) and Professor Brian Cox brings Horizons - a cinematic journey of the story of how we came to be and what we can become to the intimate venue (September 9).

The theatre’s Box Office counter will be re-open on Tuesday 25 May. Opening hours will be Tuesdays – Saturdays 10am – 1pm.

For more information and to book tickets, visit theatreroyalwinchester.co.uk or email boxoffice@playtothecrowd.co.uk.