A WEEKEND of free arts events in Scarborough will commemorate the 1914 bombardment of the town, including a powerful theatrical production.

Scarborough composer John Pattison and Beach Hut Theatre Company have teamed up with local organisations to produce the events, a highlight of which will be a powerful and moving musical drama documentary, , Remember Scarborough!, written and composed by Pattison.

Staged by six local actors and musicians in the St Nicholas Gardens, the 45-minute production will be performed at 8pm on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 September, telling the story of the bombardment and giving an insight into life in Scarborough 100 years ago.

The music will be performed live by the composer using a specially-created orchestral keyboard rig alongside more conventional instruments and visuals created for the event by video artists Paul Nash and Liam Watt Pattison.

On Sunday, September 28 St Nicholas Gardens will come alive to the sights and sounds of World War One with historical displays, exhibitions and presentations.

Visitors can also follow a Remembrance Route through the gardens, which honours the 18 local people who died during or as a result of the intensive shelling by two German battleships on 16 December 1914 with information panels about each one.

The route will be manned by ‘poppy girls’, students on YCC’s Historical and Performance Costume for Stage and Screen course, wearing costumes they have created in memory of the events of 1914.