A TWO-WEEK festival celebrating gipsy culture opens in the North-East today.

Gipsy artists from across Europe have travelled to entertain in the Newcastle-Gateshead Gypsy Festival, which features theatre, music, dance, film and photography.

Among those who have travelled to the North-East for the festival at Newcastle Playhouse is Hungarian gipsy singer Mitsou who is to perform in Northern Stage's new production, The Black Eyed Roses.

Northern Stage's artistic director Alan Lyddiard travelled to Budapest to find Mitsou, having listened to a CD which features her music.

Mr Lyddiard said: "Actually bringing Mitsou to Newcastle is a dream come true.

"I fell in love with Mitsou's voice when I was researching ideas for The Black Eyed Roses and it became something of an obsession that I wanted her in the show."

The festival also includes the only UK performances of Carmen by German Romany theatre company Theater Pralipe.

Carmen will be performed in a 180-seater tent pitched at the side of Newcastle Playhouse.

The festival starts at 8pm with a concert of Sinti music by Les Manouches. The group of Macedonian Romany entertainers provide the music for Theater Pralipe's Carmen, which opens on Monday, at 7.30pm.

Black Eyed Roses opens in The Playhouse on Tuesday, at 8pm.

For further details, contact Newcastle Playhouse box office on 0191-230 5151.