AFTER classical music, folk, world music, show songs, digital arts and jazz, the National Centre for Early Music is adding another string to its bow this autumn.

For the first time, the converted St Margaret Church, in Walmgate, York, will welcome a series of theatre shows for the family.

Freehand Theatre will present Tales From A Treehouse, a play with puppets for children aged five to 11, on September 26 at 6.30pm, and Jack Drum Arts will perform Arch Enemies, Jim Woodland's murder mystery, ghost story, comedy and musical, on October 9 at 7.30pm.

NTC Touring Theatre Company will stage a brace of plays: Stewart Howson's new comedy drama Quay Moments In A Relationship, on October 27, and A J Cronin's The Stars Look Down, a mining conflict set in the North East of England, on October 28, both at 7.30pm.

Accessible Arts will present its Christmas pantomime, Ruff-Doublet And The Queen: An Elizabethan Romp, set in Tudor England, from December 4 to 6 at 7.30pm.

Prices for the theatre shows have been set at a "deliberately economical" level: £6.50 for adults, £5.50 for concessions, £3.50 for students.

Meanwhile, the National Centre will be a fulcrum for three festivals this autumn: Sightsonic: the York Digital Arts Festival next month; David Porter's J-Night weekend of international jazz in November; and the York Early Music Christmas Festival in December.

World music will be represented in the World Sound series, featuring the Bauls of West Bengal minstrel show Music of the Mystics, October 11; Safar's concert Marco Polo And The Silk Road, November 1; and Hassan Erraji with Arabesque, November 15.

The Black Swan Folk Club will link arms with the National Centre once more, for folk concerts by June Tabor, October 8; Harvest Home, with Barry Coope, Jim Boyes, Lester Simpson, Fi Fraser, Jo Freya and Georgina Boyes, November 25; and the Artisan Christmas Show, Stuff The Turkey, with Jacey Bedford, Hilary Spencer and Brian Bedford, December 22. In addition, the BBC Folk Musician of the Year, Scottish fiddler John McCusker, will be joined by friends in folk Andy Cutting, Ian Carr and Kris Drever on December 15.

To encourage support for the World Sound shows and theatre events, early booking offers are in operation until September 25.

Further details will follow in Friday Night Fever on the classical, SightSonic and jazz programmes.

For tickets, ring 01904 658338.

Updated: 09:44 Friday, September 12, 2003