A POP-UP theatre has appeared in Poole Park to host the world premieres of three new plays.

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The intimate, 168-seat auditorium, called the Roundabout, pitched up on Thursday and will be showing various performances this weekend.

The family-focused event, which features plays, comedy for kids and performances from youth groups, has been organised by Paines Plough in association with Lighthouse and Activate.

Jack Heaton, of Paines Plough, said: “There will be a great festival atmosphere over the weekend with events for all the family.

“Fingers crossed we’ll be getting up to a thousand people attending over the weekend.”

The three new plays being performed are How to Be a Kid, Out of Love and Black Mountain.

In How to Be a Kid, Molly needs to learn how to be a kid again after being a carer for her mum.

“It’s an exciting technicolour show with bright lights, loud music and dancing to Taylor Swift,” Jack said.

The play will be showing at 11am today and 2pm tomorrow.

Out of Love is a tale of friendship, love and rivalry over thirty years from the award-winning playwright Elinor Cook.

It features best friends Lorna and Grace who suddenly find themselves on different paths when Lorna gets a place at university and Grace gets pregnant.

The play shows at 4.30pm today and 5.30pm tomorrow.

Finally, Black Mountain is a tense psychological thriller by the winner of the Harold Pinter Commission, Brad Birch. Rebecca and Paul are facing problems in their relationship and escape to an isolated house in the country. But someone is following them…

“It’s a rare chance to see a genuine thriller on stage,” Jack said.

The play will show at 7.30pm today.

As well as theatrical entertainment, the Comedy Club 4 Kids will be taking place today for everyone over six years old.

Tomorrow, there will be an opportunity to enjoy an afternoon of dance, theatre and music performed by Dorset’s local young people and devised by individuals, schools, colleges, and youth organisations. Book tickets at lighthouse.co.uk

The Roundabout theatre flat packs into a single lorry and pops up in a day, requiring no tools or specialist skills to assemble.

Paines Plough co-artistic director, James Grieve, said: “The lighting and sound systems are bespoke designed and utilise completely new technology which is incredibly energy efficient. It’s a dynamic, immersive space which wraps the audience around the action and creates a bear pit atmosphere.