He died nearly 30 years ago, but the spirit of Jacques Brel's life and times lives on in his music.

The travelling troubadour, who abandoned his native Belgium for Paris in the Fifties, left a treasured legacy of passionate, poetic and poignant songs about almost every aspect of love and life imaginable - and this show provides a rare opportunity to revisit some of his greatest works.

Jacques Brel Is Alive And Well And Living In Paris was first conceived in the Sixties, when a collection of Brel's finest songs - a diverse mix of ballads, tangos, boleros and rockier numbers was translated from French into English by his lyricist friend Mort Schuman and American poet Eric Blau.

The songs were, for the first time, given a life of their own and transformed into a theatrical experience that has since gone on to enthral audiences for nearly four decades.

The original show opened in 1968 in Greenwich Village in New York City and six years later it was made into a movie, featuring the original cast.

Actress Kate Dyson, who stars in this production along with Janice Cramer, Mark Lanahan and George Williams, says: "Brel's music can make you weep with sadness and laughter.

"Each song is like a story, with recurring themes of love, war, broken dreams, youth, growing old and death. Some of these stories are tragic and some are deeply funny.

"He was a master poet and was not shy about portraying the darker side of life and unsavoury characters - the so-called dregs of society, the alcoholics, drifters, drug addicts and prostitutes."

Jacques Brel Is Alive And Well..., directed by Johnny Worthy and Simon Fricker, is showing as part of the new festival Celebrating Age, which is taking place across Brighton and Hove throughout July.

The festival celebrates the positive aspects of ageing, and provides opportunities for older people to take part in an exciting programme of performing and visual arts.

A series of national and international conferences will also enable older people to speak directly to policy and decision-makers about the support and services they need.

All the cast "enjoy their free bus passes", but are still enjoying successful careers in the theatre. Between them, have appeared in over 30 West End and National Theatre productions including Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar, Les Miserables, Showboat, Blood Brothers, Porgy and Bess and Sweeney Todd.

Starts 8pm Thursday to Saturday, 7pm on Sunday, tickets cost £9. Call 01273 702563. For more info about Celebrating Age call 01273 295045