A NORWEGIAN fantasy comes to life next week when students join a professional orchestra to perform at a festival.

Six drama students from Richmond School have devised their own performance of Henrik Ibsen's Peer Gynt, which will be accompanied by music from Swaledale Chamber Players.

The performance at St Andrew's Church, Grinton, at 8pm next Thursday, is directed by Liz Moss and is part of the Swaledale Festival.

The Year 13 students were asked to take part in the festival after performing Peer Gynt at the Georgian Theatre Royal, Richmond, as part of their A-level drama examinations.

Amy Williams, 18, said: "The drama group had to base their performance on any play.

"We chose Peer Gynt because it offered us the diversity we wanted.

"After we had done it for the graduating performance at the Georgian, someone from the festival contacted us to ask if we would like to do it with the orchestra for the festival. We were delighted."

Of the performance, she added: "The whole thing is done at a really quick pace and it moves from one emotion to another rapidly.

"Everyone is on stage all the time."

Tickets for the show are £9 from the festival office at Hudson House, Reeth, tel 01748-880019.