CALLING all sword swallowers and hurdy-gurdy players! The producers of a new outdoor show at Hoghton Tower, near Preston, are looking for local talent to step in and save the day.

A troupe of street performers were lined up to provide pre-show atmosphere at Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.

But at the last minute the group pulled out, and now Dean Taylor, the local actor/director behind the production, has just three weeks to find replacements.

Dean said: "Losing these people so near the date has created a big job for me. Twelfth Night isn't just a play, it's an event. It's geared around people arriving early and enjoying a picnic and the pre-show entertainment."

Dean was in the process of hiring a group of entertainers from an agency, when they were offered a summer's employment at a European holiday camp.

Now Dean is left high and dry without an entertainer in sight, and the first performance of his show on June 25.

He said: "The entertainment is supposed to set the scene. The tower itself is beautiful to look around -- the gardens and the building. It would enhance the whole event if we had the street musicians and entertainers.

"I understand the artists' point of view. It's a whole summer's work for them and it's something they have to do. Everybody has got to pay their rent."

So Dean has given up on hiring from an agency, and is looking towards local talent for help. Performers will be paid, and can make extra cash from collections.

He explained: "It has left this hole but I am sure we can fill it from the community. There's a lot of talent out there. I've seen some people working around the city centre itself. Not buskers, but professional performers.

"We need anyone -- singers, musicians, guitar players, hurdy-gurdy players, organists, accordionists, sword swallowers, one-man-band players, street theatre people.

"It's to create that sort of ambience prior to a show, and we have two shows a day. There's a fair bit of work for anybody that wants it."

Anybody interested in performing can call Dean on 01772 466256.