Opera stars on bill as resort's open air theatre is relaunched

OPERA stars Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and José Carreras will perform at this summer's re-launch of Scarborough's open air theatre which is undergoing a multi-million pound revamp.

It will be the first time the world-renowned singers have performed in concert together and they will be joined by the Opera North Orchestra on Friday, July 23, to signal the opening of Europe's largest open air theatre.

Boy George will be on the bill the following week, when he will be joined by Paul Young and Kid Creole for a 1980s nostalgia festival on July 31.

Plans were also unveiled yesterday to use the auditorium to screen high-profile sporting events this summer on massive LED screens including the football World Cup, the Wimbledon tennis championships and Formula One races.

The theatre is aiming to be a further catalyst for the ongoing regeneration of Scarborough, which was crowned the most enterprising place in Britain in the Enterprising Britain 2008 Awards.

The 3.5m refit of the 6,500-seat auditorium, which had been a derelict ruin for two decades, includes a new stage, backstage changing area for the stars, and replacement seating.

Funding for the theatre's revamp has been secured by Scarborough Borough Council, which owns the open air venue, through The Sands development in the resort.