The Fine Young Cannibals' Roland Gift to headline Bewdley Festival

Organisers have said that this year's line-up for the event which begins on October 12 will provide something to meet everybody's taste.

It will offer ten days of music, comedy, drama and the spoken word during the festival which is celebrating its 31st consecutive year.

Roland will appear on the Festival stage at the Mercure Heath Hotel with his six piece band on the opening night.

The acclaimed Black Country poet Liz Berry will perform with the backing of Mish Maybe and some well-known local musicians.

Evening shows will feature James Acaster, known for appearances on Have I got News for You on October 13.

Jeremy Vine will be a guest on the Sunday as he tells What I Learnt and on the following evening former Home Secretary Alan Johnson will be talking politics and more In My Life – a Musical Memoir.

Author, playright and poet Simon Armitage will talk about Journeys on October 16 and read from his best-seller Walking Home about trying his luck as a modern-day troubadour along the Pennine Way.

Anthropologist and broadcaster Dr Alice Roberts will talk about how three species became the allies of mankind based on her best-selling book Tamed.

Leading jazz singer Clare Teal will also make a welcome return on Thursday with her supremely talented trio and making her festival debut will be Eddi Reader who came to fame as a singer with Fairground Attraction.

Evening programmes will end with A Comedy Showcase with Jo Enright.

Daytime shows will feature historian Max Keen, Opera in the Afternoon in St Anne’s Church and cartoonist Barry Venning.

Other shows include respected naturalists Brett Westwood and Chris Baines and broadcaster and poet Ian McMillan with photographer Ian Beesley using an original Magic Lantern to tell stories from the First World War.

Documentary maker David Parker will talk about the renovation of The Flying Scotsman and Tim Bentinck, better known as David Archer from the radio series, about the impact of the role on his life.

Professor Maggie Andrews will talk about the importance of the Suffragettes and Lesley Smith will portray the life of Mary, Queen of Scots.

Full details are available on the www.bewdleyfestival.org.uk website.