Shakespearean paintings will be exhibited and sold at Kingston’s Rose Theatre to tie in with its feted The Wars of the Roses production.

Kingston artist and former theatre director John Link, who now works from Brighton, presents his exhibition Much Ado About Love in the theatre’s front of house spaces from September 16 to November 21.

The artist has a growing reputation both in the UK and abroad for his contemporary interpretations of Shakespeare’s characters.

Actress Judi Dench said: “I have been a fan of John Link’s work from the moment I first saw it. The portraits are bright and colourful, which I love.

“You know immediately which character is being portrayed, and you know there is a story there somewhere. I would fill my house with these paintings if I had the room.”

The exhibition – open 10am to 6pm Monday to Saturday and during performance times on Sundays and evenings – ties in with the theatre’s The Wars of the Roses, a trilogy of Henry VI, Edward IV and Richard III.

Legendary director Sir Trevor Nunn is in charge of the plays whose cast includes the likes of Joely Richardson.