ERIN, Perrin and Clutterbuck might sound like a firm of dusty village solicitors, but these three women will be laying down a very different kind of law.

As part of the town's Festival of Words, Coleford's Baptist Chapel will host a vaudeville of music, poetry and comedy at the 3 Women event on August 12.

Up-and-coming American pianist Lola Perrin will head the evening, playing her unique brand of minimalism, which she describes as "rave music for butterflies".

She is careful to keep a tantalising air of mystique about this performance, but she has let slip that her new piano suite, On the Gradient Road, will be given an airing.

Lola, who collaborates with the legendary writer Hanif Kureishi, knows the Forest through the Coleford-based but internationally renowned sculptors Diane Gorvin and Philip Bews.

This summer sees her at a creative crossroads. Now that she has bewitched audiences on both sides of the Atlantic with her music, she wants to turn to word magic.

"I'm trying to decide whether I'm going to launch that side of myself," she said.

Lola will also read extracts from Only the Dead Can Kill, written by her sister Margo Perin – the reason for the different spellings of their names is "a long and distracting story" – while she was writer-in-residence at San Francisco County Jails.

Prison inmates shared their life stories and experiences of crime with Margo – and the result is a book that asks deep and awkward questions of people on both sides of the bars.

The book will be brought to life by inviting audience members to read out the prisoners' words.

Margo is sorry that she won't be able to attend the festival in person.

"Unfortunately I have to be back in jail on August 9," she said.

On a lighter note, Coleford's very own Maggie Clutterbuck, comedienne, novelist and occasional Forester writer, will bring her Forest humour to the show.

She is planning a boisterous stand-up comedy routine, and has promised to write a new poem about Coleford specially for the event.

"I think Foresters have a dry sense of humour," Maggie said.

"My dad was a dry old Forester and he used to say things without a smile on his face."