People

The children of famous fathers star in English Touring Theatre's production of Hamlet, which opens in London next week after touring the regions. Ed Stoppard, son of playwright Tom, plays the soliloquizing prince and Alice Patten, daughter of Lord Chris, is the heroine who goes mad and comes to a watery end. Former EastEnders stalwart Anita Dobson plays Hamlet's mother Gertrude. Ms Patten's Shakespeare role follows her appearance in her first Bollywood film, Rang De Basanti (Paint It Saffron), which opened in London last month. She starred with Hindi movie heartthrob Aamir Khan in a story about a young woman who heads for Delhi to make a film about Indian revolutionaries.

Yesterday was the 54th anniversary of the Queen's accession to the throne after the death of her father. Which seems as good an excuse as any to report that the enterprising Bolton Festival Choir and Orchestra in Greater Manchester has decided on a double commission to mark the Queen's 80th birthday later this year. They have asked poet U A Fanthorpe (a noted performer of her own verse and author of a fine Christmas piece about a cat) to write a celebratory work to be set to music by composer Martin Lessons. It will receive its first performance in a birthday-themed concert at the Bolton Festival in August. Book now.

Nick Park and Steve Box, creators of Wallace and Gromit, have won the best directing prize at the 33rd Annie Awards, honouring achievements in feature film and television animation. Their latest adventure, Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit from DreamWorks Animation SKG, was also named best feature production.

Composer Mark-Anthony Turnage has always acknowledged his passion for jazz and the influence it has had on his own scores. Now he has teamed up again with guitarist Jon Scofield to produce Scorched, which receives its UK premiere in Edinburgh on Thursday, with performances in Glasgow on Friday and the Barbican in London on Saturday. The piece has been created from 12 Scofield compositions which Turnage has "re-contextualized" for orchestra (the Scottish Chamber Orchestra) and the trio of soloists (John Patitucci, bass; Peter Erskine, drums and Scofield himself on guitar). The work is a follow up to Blood On The Floor, the 1996 collaboration between Turnage and Scofield.