Celebrated soprano Joan Rodgers, from Cleator Moor, will perform at Rosehill Theatre, Moresby, on Sunday as part of a weekend of French-themed events.

Joan is among the leading English sopranos of her generation. She was awarded a CBE for services to music in 2001 and in 2010 was appointed to the International Chair of Singing at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM).

She will be joined at Rosehill by Carlisle-based pianist Julia Cobby for an afternoon of French song and a two-course themed lunch from 1pm, all with the audience seated at tables on the Rosehill stage. Their programme will include works by Tchaikovsky, from his set of French songs, Gounod, Poulenc, Fauré, Britten’s French folk songs, Manuel Rosenthal and more.

Joan studied Russian at Liverpool University and went on to RNCM, winning the Kathleen Ferrier Memorial Scholarship in 1981. She made her professional début in 1982 as Pamina in Die Zauberflöte at Aix-en-Provence Festival, which quickly led to roles at English National Opera and Covent Garden and in opera houses throughout Europe.

She has had many notable performances, not least Last Night of the Proms in 1988, and in 2005 she sang in Handel’s Ariodante with the Bavarian State Opera in Tokyo. She has sung at Rosehill on numerous occasions and it is fitting that she’s able to return in the theatre’s 60th birthday year.

Joan’s performance is one of three events in the theatre to mark the arrival of the new season’s Beaujolais Nouveau wine, which is also being celebrated with a themed menu in The Green Room restaurant.

Popular jazz singer Tina May returns to Rosehill on tonight at 8pm, with her Paris Cats, a ‘Hot Club’ swing quartet.

Tina, a regular at the renowned Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London, will present French chansons and swing tunes, joined by lead guitar, rhythm guitar, violin and clarinet/saxophone. Songs include La Mer, La Vie en Rose, La Javanaise, Sweet Georgia Brown, Les Feuilles Mortes (Autumn Leaves), C’est si Bon, I Love Paris, N’oublie Jamais, C’est Magnifique, Sous le Ciel de Paris and more.

And tomorrow at 8pm, it’s the turn of Marcel Lucont, the award-winning alter-ego of Alexis Dubus.

Actor and comedian Alexis has enjoyed many TV roles over the years, including Red Dwarf XI, stand-up performances on John Bishop’s Christmas Show, Russell Howard’s Good News and Comedy Central, and numerous radio appearances.

Tickets from rosehilltheatre.co.uk or on 01946 692422.