AS the longest-ever Ludlow Festival ended with a bang, its committee began work planning for next year.
One of its first tasks will be to decide whether to run another three-week Festival in 2004 or go back to two weeks and maybe only one Shakespeare play.
"We have to get feedback from everyone before we can decide," said administrator Malcolm Salisbury. "A lot will depend on finance."
First verdicts on the Festival are that it was a success with good houses for both "The Merchant of Venice" and "The Winter's Tale" on most nights. Many visitors liked the opportunity to match a comparatively familiar play with a lesser-known drama of jealousy and redemption. Other high-profile attractions, like Tasmin Little's concert in St. Laurence's Church and Anthony Howard's chat with Lord Heseltine, were also packed.
"The weather helped enormously and the visit by the Queen and Prince Philip was a bonus," Salisbury explained. "I only started in May but the box office staff, the committee and our volunteers worked hard and gave me the tools to do the job."
Among the decisions facing chairman Adrian Weatherall and his committee are whether to invite Michael Bodganov back for a third year to direct Shakespeare. One possible play for 2004 is "Twelfth Night" which last played at Ludlow in 1988.
The 44th Festival ended in grand style on Sunday night when 3,200 packed into the Outer Bailey of the Castle for a spectacular firework finale accompanied by a sixties-style show "ReelinandaRockin."
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