Your Midlands and Shropshire am dram guide

By no means is it the easiest pantomime to put on though, with the transformation scene to contend with, however, Kinver Light Operatic Society is 'off to the ball' from November 30 to December 7 at Kinver High School, with performances at 7.30pm nightly.

This award-winning group is no stranger to panto accolades, having won Best Pantomime in the NODA awards for their district in 2015, 2017 and 2018 and so Cinderella promises to be a good one.

The title role is played by 15-year-old Emma Davies, who is taking her very first leading part, with Ricky Dowell as Buttons, Amy Danks as Fairy G and Brian Ashmead-Siers and Claire Jackson as the Ugly Sisters.

For tickets, call 01384 836963 or visit www.klos.co.uk.

There is more panto magic over in Shropshire as the resident group at the Festival Drayton Centre in Market Drayton presents Sleeping Beauty from December 5 to 8.

With a hilarious new script and jaw-dropping special effects, this group is offering a bigger, better and even more magical panto than ever.

For tickets priced at £12 for adults and £10 for children under 16, visit www.festivaldraytoncentre.com or call 01630 654444.

Catch a production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, also from December 5 to 8 at Blakedown Parish Rooms, presented by Theatre 282.

Audiences are promised a beautiful Snow White, a sassy fairy, a handsome prince, the hilarious Dame Clarissa and Silly Billy Muddles, for an evening or afternoon of pure fun.

For tickets priced at £6 and £7, visit www.theatre282.com or call 03336663366.

On a more serious note, but still keeping the Christmas theme, A Christmas Carol is back at the Crescent Theatre by popular demand, playing from December 3 to 4.

This classic, traditional Dickensian tale remains a favourite over the festive period, I think because of the thought-provoking storyline and atmospheric feel of the original novel, not to mention the excellent characters.

For tickets priced at £17 with generous discounts available for school parties and group, visit www.crescent-theatre.co.uk or call 0121 643 5585.

Christmas is a time for giving and helping others and with this in mind, local choir Hospice Voices is presenting A Christmas Concert on December 7, with all proceeds from the evening going to Acorns Children’s Hospice.

Oozing with Christmas cheer and a whole host of favourite tunes, the concert will take place at St. Mary and St. Luke Church in Shareshill, staring at 7.30pm.

Tickets are just £7 each and that includes refreshments. Contact 07827 327403 to book.

The Wombourne and District Choral is celebrating their 90th anniversary this year and will be performing Handel's Messiah in conjunction with members of Wolverhampton Grammar School Chamber Choir and the WGS Adult Choral Society, on December 7 at the Church of St John’s in the Square in Wolverhampton at 7.30pm.

The evening is conducted by Musical Director, Ian Clarke.

Rehearsals are now underway in preparation for the performance which will be with four professional soloists and an 18-piece orchestra.

The love affair that British classical music audiences have with this oratorio is quite phenomenal.

Since its Dublin premiere in 1742, it has been performed by choirs across the land every year since at least 1745. Handel composed his most famous piece in 1741, and continued to work on it after its initial performance, finally arriving at the version we know today in 1754.

Impressive solo arias, like 'Ev'ry valley shall be exalted' and 'Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion' are interspersed with compelling chorus numbers, telling the story of Jesus' birth, life, death, resurrection, and final victory over sin and death.

For tickets, which are £15 each and free for children under 16, visit www.wombournechoralsociety.org, call 01902 744447 or you can buy tickets at the door on the night.

There is a lovely yuletide concert on December 7 at St. Hilda’s Church, Warley Woods, Birmingham, presented by The Arcadians Musical Theatre Company, entitled, very aptly, Christmas with the Arcadians.

This concert will also be repeated on December 14 at Carters Lane Baptist Church in Halesowen.

Enter the festive spirit with a whole host of well-love family favourites, combined with some hidden seasonal gems.

For tickets visit www.arcadians.net or call 07950242114.

From December 2 to 7, you can catch a production of The Railway Children, the wonderful children’s story by Edith Nesbit at the Rose Theatre in Kidderminster.

This is a new and remarkably faithful adaptation by Mike Kenny which was first performed in 2008 at the National Railway Museum, York, using a real steam engine.

However, Kenny says you don't need a real train to perform this play, as the most powerful prop is the imagination of the audience and the most effective tool is the skill of the actors

For tickets, including special rates for groups, call 01562 743745 or visit www.rosetheatre.co.uk.

Finally this week, the local theatre group in Llanymynech, or The LADS as they are affectionately known, invite you to their stage adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s classic novel, Far from the Madding Crowd, on November 29 to 30.

This is the tale of the independent, beautiful and headstrong Bathsheba Everdene, a young woman who attracts three very different suitors: Gabriel Oak, a sheep farmer who is captivated by her fetching wilfulness; Frank Troy, a handsome and reckless sergeant; and William Boldwood, a prosperous and mature bachelor.

This timeless story of Bathsheba's choices and passions explores the nature of relationships and love, as well as the human ability to overcome hardships through resilience and perseverance.

For tickets, priced at £8 for adults and £4 for under 18 year olds, visit www.ticketsource.co.uk/ladstheatre or call 01691 830558.

That’s all for this week. Keep sending me details of your shows and good quality colour photos to a.norton@expressandstar.co.uk, call me on 01902 319662 or follow me on Twitter @AlisonNorton or Facebook.

Break a leg!