UNTIL MARCH 15, BATH - Shakespeare Festival, Theatre Royal Bath (main house and the Ustinov Studio): The curtain rose on the Bath Shakespeare Festival this week but don't worry if you haven't been able to get along to it yet as there are plenty more performances taking place over the next week.

Othello is being staged in the main house tonight and tomorrow by one of the UK's newest and most exciting companies, Concentric Circles.

The marriage of Othello, a powerful military general, and the young and beautiful Desdemona destroys the friendship between the general and his loyal lieutenant Iago. Embittered Iago plots to destroy his commander by intrigue and insinuation, with the most terrible consequences.

Shakespeare's moving and poetic tragedy is an overwhelming account of sexual jealousy, racial politics and passion.

From Tuesday, until March 15, The Splinter Group from New York present Romeo & Juliet in the main house.

The immortal story of two star-crossed lovers is brought to life in a version of the play which took New York by storm and won a raft of awards for its young director and adapter Joe Calarco. It has also been performed in Washington, Chicago and Australia and now at last English audiences can see it as Bath presents the UK premiere.

The Ustinov Studio plays host to Compagnie Mimodram from Georgia tonight and tomorrow, as they take to the stage with Hamlet.

Blurring the boundaries between dance and drama, this company of six dancers from Tblisi, Georgia, present a wordless, emotionally charged and amazingly accessible performance of Hamlet, to a soundtrack of jazz, modern and classical music.

Through incredibly expressive dance and gesture they tell the story of Shakespeare's greatest tragedy.

The King of Denmark is murdered by his brother Claudius, who then marries his widow Gertrude and seizes his throne. Gertrude's son Hamlet plots his bloody revenge...

The show has toured to great acclaim across mainland Europe and Bath is now staging Mimodram's first UK performance.

Over The Edge from Zimbabwe will be presenting The Taming Of The Shrew in the Ustinov Studio from Wednesday until March 15. This is a uniquely African take on Shakespeare's comedy about the battle of the sexes.