Preparations begin next week for this year's Storm on the Lawn - one of the biggest events in the Theatre Royal Bath's Education Department's calendar.

It takes 100 people, 16 days and bags of talent and enthusiasm.

The cast and crew will meet for the first time in the grounds of Prior Park College on Monday morning.

The finished show will have five performances from August 20 to 24. The show goes on come rain or shine.

Now in its eleventh year, this August Storm on the Lawn will present a new adaptation of Metropolis, based on the iconic futuristic novel by Thea Von Harbou, which was famously filmed by Fritz Lang.

Each year, the Theatre Royal's annual summer school brings together a cast of 60 young people, and a team of young technicians to work with a professional theatre director, choreographer, musical director, designer and wardrobe mistress.

A huge array of musical, acting and dancing rehearsals will take place simultaneously while the technical team transforms the College's Ball Court into an outdoor theatre, and the wardrobe department creates more than one hundred costumes.

Just 16 days later, the audience will arrive, to be treated to a highly visual and thought-provoking epic with a breath-taking live soundtrack accompanied by spectacular lighting and special effects.

Nicola Baldwin is adapting the script for this year's production, following her highly popular adaptation of the Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf for last year's Storm production. Nicola will be on site with the Storm team during the rehearsals, tweaking her adaptation to accommodate the skills and inspiration from the young performers.

This year's production will be directed by Steve Marmion. Steve has recently transferred Macbeth to Broadway where he will be returning later in the year with Vincent River.

Associate Director at the RSC for two years from 2006-07, Steve has also directed several premieres for Sir Alan Ayckbourn at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, and his work includes productions at the National Theatre, Theatre Royal Plymouth, Soho Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal Court and Edinburgh Festival.