Anarchy at bus stops, drunken men dancing, and a moonlit ship accompanied by stilt walkers – the top end of Watford town centre as you’ve never seen it before. Well, not since the Imagine Watford festival last year, anyway. Presented by Watford Palace Theatre and Watford Borough Council, in association with the Arts Council England, the fourth Imagine Watford will once again transform our town’s streets into a spectacle of street art and performance for two glorious weeks.

“We’ve got a truly wonderful festival to look forward to this year,” says Watford Palace Theatre’s artistic director Brigid Larmour.

“This year there’s been an increasing amount of new work made in Britain as part of this festival. It does kind of stand to reason that it might be countries with a Mediterranean shoreline that pioneer outdoor arts in Europe, because they can rely on the weather, but so far we’ve been able to manage the weather pretty well and have worked with companies who make brilliant outdoor work in Britain – and we’ve got an even bigger array of that this year.”

  • Imagine Watford takes place in Watford Town Centre from June 19 to 29. Details: imaginewatford.co.uk

The Itinerant Music Hall

Roll up! Varsickle Tilley, Glass Eye and Piccadilly Johnny reel into town with a blend of storytelling, cabaret and high-jinx vaudeville (June 19 and 20).

The Kindness of Strangers

Join a once-in-a-lifetime journey into the world of the paramedic, where the audience is invited into the back of a moving ambulance to witness a typical night shift (June 24-28).

The Legend of Hamba

Don’t miss the world premiere of this physical theatre production from Britain’s leading African theatre company, Tiata Fahodzi (June 28 and 29).

Brimborions

Three beautifully coloured big bubbles will be hanging about the pavements of Watford, sharing sweet music, dancing and singing to entertain - and playing naughty tricks! (June 21 and 22)

The Spurting Man

Performed to Ravel’s Bolero, this delightfully comic show features tricks that, well, involve a great deal of spurting (June 26).