THE first act for this year’s Swindon Fringe Festival has been revealed and organisers have packed more shows than ever before into the lineup.

A packed programme of performances, plays, songs and stories will fill venues around the town for 10 days once again in April.

The full list will be revealed when tickets go on sale next Wednesday on the festival's website and there are so many shows in the pipeline this year that it will be impossible to see them all.

Organiser Molly Campbell said: "Last year's festival was our favourite so far and we thought we would stick to the same format, but the quality of this year's applications has been so astounding that we've included even more in the programme.

"There will often be two shows in different places at the same time, but they'll cater to different tastes and audiences - for example one would be comedy and the other would be theatre.

"We've got old favourites coming back and new surprises that showcase something really original and different, plus several local acts.

"Some of them will be making their debut performance at the festival before going on to other fringe festivals, which is exciting."

Much of the lineup is under wraps for now, but the Adver can reveal that Rachel Mae Brady will bring her semi-autobiographical show Wolf Tamer to the Olive Tree Cafe on April 9 from 7.30pm.

The show is a personal project based on how Rachel and her family dealt with the sudden loss of her uncle Neil. and performing it and her mum Joy Forsythe directing. The pair set up their own theatre company, Savage Heart Productions.

Rachel said: "Neil's death had a profound effect on me: It was my first big loss and the loss of my hero, the world became a very scary place, I struggled with depression and extreme social anxiety and I became terrified of dying or losing anybody close to me.

"The show is about loss but it is also a celebration of storytelling, as I tell Neil’s adventure stories from Egypt and the North Pole."

Tickets will cost £10 online or £12 at the door.

Molly added: "We haven't seen any of the shows before, we choose which applications to include based on a rigorous questionnaire about the concepts, history and awards recognition.

"There's a lot of research involved but sometimes we just go for a gut feeling because we really like the idea."

The festival will be held from April 5 to 14. Visit swindonfringefestival.com