Your Midlands and Shropshire am dram round up

The members of Tipton Arts, who perform at the Coneygre Arts Centre in Tipton, are taking a trip to Old Peking, as they are presenting Aladdin from November 29-December 2, with performances at 7.30pm nightly and a 2.30pm Saturday matinee.

In good old-fashioned panto style, the title role is played by a girl, in this case, Georgia Whitehouse, with Caitlin Brandnick as Princess Jasmine, Carl Pango as the evil Abanazer and Mark Dugmore as Widow Twankey.

l Expect fun for all the family! For tickets, call 07757 808036 or visit the group’s Facebook page.

Over in Solihull at the Dovehouse Theatre, Youth on Stage, the Landywood based group, will be presenting Snow White from December 6-9.

With members ranging from just nine to twenty-five-year olds, you are guaranteed a high energy, exciting performance.

In this production, Ashleigh Strain is Snow White, with Sarah Fullwood as the prince, and a variety of hilarious dwarfs with very different names to the Disney version.

l For tickets, call 07824 552431, or visit www.youthonstage.org

If pantomime is not your favourite, there are plenty of other festive productions to choose from across the area.

Dudley Little Theatre will be performing A Christmas Carol at Netherton Arts Centre from December 7-10 in an especially adapted version to appeal to all ages. I always think the original can be a little scary for children, but this version is very family friendly.

Boasting a cast of 25 adults and children, some of whom are treading the boards for the very first time, the group’s Musical Director has composed some newly-written songs for the show. Add to that comedy, pathos and slapstick and you have a very different version indeed.

l Performances are at 7.30pm nightly, with a 2.30pm Saturday and Sunday matinee, so for tickets call 01384 872583, 07582318017 or visit www.dudeylittletheatre.org

Another group presenting this Dicken’s classic tale is Bridgnorth Players who will also be performing A Christmas Carol from December 6-8 at three different venue across Shropshire – December 6 at Priory Hall, Much Wenlock, December 7 at Worfield Village Hall and December 8 at Chelmarsh Village Hall in Bridgnorth.

Apparently, this is a new theatrical production of Charles Dickens’ classic story and so I will be interested to see what the group do with it.

l For tickets priced at £10 on the door; £8 if booked by Monday 4th December; £7 for groups of 6 or more if booked by 4th December, email or call bridgnorthplayers@yahoo.com or 01746 767425.

The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe is another yuletide favourite and if you love C.S Lewis’s classic tale, you can catch a production of it at The Crescent Theatre in Birmingham from December 2-16.

In Glyn Robbins’ dramatization of this much-loved fantasy, four children venture through the back of a wardrobe into the magical land of Nania where they encounter all manner of beasts and mythical creatures and with the help of Aslan the lion, they battle the evil white witch to save the kingdom from a hundred years of snow and ice.

There is a relaxed performance of the play on December 16 at 2.15pm at which disabled children and those with learning difficulties can enjoy a calmer production and feel free to move around and experience the atmosphere, without the boundaries of usual theatrical etiquette.

l For tickets visit www.crescent-theatre.co.uk or call 0121 643 5858.

Forest Arts Centre has a variety of Christmas events over the coming weeks, with something for absolutely everyone.

Let’s start with Rocktastic Christmas 2017, a Christmas concert presented by the children from Walsall Primary Schools choirs, supported by a professional rock band. They have taken all your festive favourites and added a rock and pop twist. Sounds like everyone will be up on their feet and dancing.

l It runs from November 27-30, starting at 7pm. For tickets, visit www.forestartscentre.co.uk or call 01922 654555.

At the same venue on November 30 at 2pm, the Senior Citizens Orchestra will be performing their monthly concert with a programme of fabulous classical music.

It is amazingly good value for money, with tickets at just £1 each. For more information or to book, visit www.forestartscentre.co.uk or call 01922 654555.

On December 8-9, the Market Drayton School of Dance is celebrating their golden anniversary with a special performance at the Festival Drayton Centre entitled Fifty Years.

Audiences can look forward to a showcase of ballet, tap, modern, acrobatic and many more dance styles performed by dedicated, talented pupils.

l For tickets priced at £8 and £6, visit the school’s Facebook page or call 01630 655565.

There is just time to catch a production of Noel Coward’s Relative Values at the Hayward Theatre within St. Peters Collegiate School at Compton, which runs from November 22-25, presented by Tettenhall Amateur Players.

Coward was the master of snobbery and class and this comedy is no exception. The storyline deals with the clash of cultures between Hollywood stars and the English aristocracy. First produced in London in 1951 with great success, the play enjoyed several revivals before being made into a film in 2000.

l For tickets priced at £10 each, visit the group’s Facebook page or call 01902 744033.

And finally, movie fans are in for a treat the Streetly Community Centre from 7-9 December when Trinity Players presents their concert, Songs from the Silver Screen.

Look forward to a delightful evening of song and entertainment from all your favourite films.

l For tickets visit www.trinityplayers.co.uk or call 07843928830.

l Keep those emails coming to a.norton@expressandstar.co.uk.