A TWO-week shutdown for annual maintenance and repairs gets underway at the Alban Arena from Monday.

The wear and tear that comes from hundreds of shows and thousands of visitors through the doors means that the Arena needs extensive work carried out including deep cleaning and wall painting.

But online booking is still available 24 hours a day at www.alban-arena.co.uk and the telephone booking lines will be manned daily from 10.30am to 3pm on 01727 844488.

The Arena reopens with its first-ever summer workshop presented by RARE Productions. The youngsters are putting on The Last Daze of St Swithun’s which starts rehearsals on Monday, August 22, culminating in a final performance open to the public at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Saturday, August 27.

Set against a background of classic 50s rock’n’roll music, the girls of St Swithun’s decide to take on the might of the London underworld.

Matinee tickets are �13 with OAPs �10 and up to two children under 16 with each paying adult getting in free.

The evening tickets are the same except that under 16s pay �6 as do RARE card-holding members.