West End casts in free festival

The casts of hit West End shows Chicago, Lord Of The Rings and Dirty Dancing will perform live in Leicester Square as part of the capital's biggest free theatre festival.

More than 100,000 people are expected to attend this summer's West End Live event, which will also feature exhibitions from attractions including the National Gallery and London Dungeon.

The festival, organised for the third time by Westminster council, takes place on 23 and 24 June. Leicester Square will be transformed into a huge openair venue also featuring performances from the casts of Avenue Q, Fame, Stomp, Mamma Mia and Drowsy Chaperone.

There will be displays by comic superstore The Forbidden Planet, Film London, the Serpentine Gallery, Film London, the London Children's Film Festival, Bafta and the British Film Institute as well as shows from the Sylvia Young Theatre School, a Chinatown performance troupe, Bollywood dancers and a hip hop act.

Robert Davis, Westminster's cabinet member for special events, said: "There is no other free event like it in London. There really is something for everyone."

Last year's festival attracted 130,000 people.