FLEDGLING folk star Hattie Briggs and short story writer Philip Douch will perform at a special Painswick Arts Festival concert on Monday, August 18.

A finalist in the Radio 2 Young Folk Awards, Ebley based Hattie plays the guitar and piano. Brought up on the mellow strains of James Taylor and Eva Cassidy she's been singing for as long as she can remember. She released her debut EP, My Shepherd's Hut last November, her single Pull Me Down in February, and has recently finished recording a new album for release in the near future.

Philip Douch is a highly entertaining reader of his own short stories. He has performed his self-penned one man show in Devon, Stroud and Cumbria, and is regularly invited to read his work at Story Fridays in Bath. He also appears at summer festivals and coordinates fellow writer-performers for the annual Feast of Stories at The Bacon Theatre in Cheltenham.

Philip is also a playwright with shows produced at the Cheltenham Everyman Studio, Alma Tavern in Bristol, Nuffield Studio in Southampton and at the Landor Theatre on the London fringe. He is directing his award-winning full length play Charlie with The Phoenix Players in Gloucester in September.

The Arts Festival concert takes place at the Beacon Hall in the Painswick Centre on Monday, August 18, at 7.30pm. Tickets are available on the door or in advance from local outlets or online at www.painswickartsfestival.com/buy-tickets