THEATRE bosses in Peebles are preparing for one of their busiest ever months.

June's programme offers an enticing mix of comedy, live music, world class ballet on screen, drama and film.

The bar will immediately be set high when star of TV and radio, and one of Scotland’s best-loved comics, Fred Macaulay comes to Peebles on Friday (June 8).

Celebrating 30 years as a stand-up, the set features his trademark mix of personal family anecdotes with wry observations about society and politics.

It’s then time for another celebration as two musicians with an equally strong following return to the Eastgate stage on June 14. After touring the world in each other’s bands, writing and recording songs together, not to mention a decade of marriage, multi-award-winning musicians Heidi Talbot and John McCusker celebrate their first collaborative EP by touring as a duo for the first time.

There’s further live music towards the end of the month (June 28) when the Roy Orbison & Buddy Holly show rolls into town. The two musical legends both grew up in the same part of Texas, and recorded their early work in the same studio – with each developing a totally original and individual sound.

In this tribute to the two great artists, Darren Paige as Roy Orbison and Marc Robinson as Buddy Holly bring together a two-hour show featuring all the hits and a few earlier tracks, too.

Sandwiched between the live music, there is also outstanding live ballet on screen (June 12) when the Royal Ballet presents a brand new production of Swan Lake, with additional choreography by artist in residence Liam Scarlett.

Then, on Friday, June 15, it’s the turn of stage stars of the future as Shakespeare at Traquair presents its hilarious Shakespeare Shorts pre-Fringe 2018 show featuring two knock-about plays by kids, for kids.

The Taming of the Shrew sees theatre director Kate’s cast revolting, her producer perplexed and Kate herself in despair. Meanwhile, the second ‘short’, Much Ado About Nothing, looks more like an episode of The Great Brexit Bakeoff, with burning buns, sinking soufflés and soggy bottoms as the play’s star-crossed lovers carry on baking.

Throw in three blockbuster films for all ages on June 24 – Sherlock Gnomes, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, and The Leisure Seeker.