• The King's Speech: Watermill Theatre Reviews (Fri 20 Sep to Sat 2 Nov).
• The Whistling: The Mill at Sonning Reviews (Fri 27 Sep to Sat 16 Nov).
• Casting the Runes: Corn Exchange (Tue 29 Oct).
• Guys and Dolls: Abingdon Operatic Society (Tue 29 Oct to Sat 2 Nov).
• Shivers and Shadows: Arlington Arts Centre (Wed 30 Oct).
• 9 to 5 The Musical: The Sainsbury Singers (Wed 30 Oct to Sat 2 Nov).
• A Midsummer Night's Dream: The Haymarket (Thu 31 Oct).
• Dracula: Compton Players (Thu 31 Oct to Sat 2 Nov).
• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time: AmEgos (Thu 31 Oct to Sat 2 Nov).
• Mother Goose: Hook Players (Wed 6 Nov to Thu 7 Nov).

In case you hadn't noticed, it's panto time. As usual, there's a big collection of pantos and Christmas shows. Here goes.
First off the block is Hook Players with Mother Goose from 6th November followed by the Watermill with Pinocchio and Oxford Playhouse with Sleeping Beauty and Newbury Corn Exchange with Dick Whittington. Into December, Creation Theatre Company brings us Hansel and Grettel. Now they're coming thick and fast with Sleeping Beauty, Mother Goose again, A Christmas Carol and Snow White. Into January with Puss in Boots, Dick Whittington and Cinderella, with KATS bringing up the rear in February with Treasure Island. Phew!

See What's on for a list of everything.

New Era Players invite you to our Improv in Drama sessions. Maybe you quite fancy trying your hand at drama, but don’t want to learn lines or face an audience? This could be just the spontaneous, fun and friendly activity for you! Sessions are fortnightly on Mondays at the New Era Theatre, Andover Road, Wash Common, Newbury RG14 6NU. Come and join us from 7-8pm, sessions are free for members and £3 for non-members. Please contact the organiser, Neil, rather than just turning up as dates are sometimes subject to change. For more information please contact Neil Taylor on 07761 061545 or email

Compton Players' next production at the end of October is Dracula. The popularity of Bram Stoker’s 1897 horror romance is as eternal as any vampire. Its enduring appeal has seen countless film and stage adaptations, and more than a century after it first appeared in print Compton Players present a new adaptation to delight and terrify their audience.

Kingston Bagpuize Drama Group's next production from 28th to 30th November is Calendar Girls. When Annie's husband John dies of leukaemia, she and her best friend Chris resolve to raise money for a new settee in the local hospital waiting room. With varying levels of encouragement, they persuade four friends and fellow members of the Women’s Institute to pose nude with them for an "alternative" calendar. .

New Era Players' next production between 28th November and 7th December is Boeing-Boeing, a frantically funny and fast-paced farce, The action is set in the late 1950s and follows the exploits of American lothario Bernard, who has three fiancées, all stewardesses with different airlines. He likes to think he has ‘one on the ground, one about to take off and one in the air’, but his bachelor bliss is about to come crashing down as faster jets bring changes to the schedules, upsetting his carefully managed love life. This is a play that manages to take off from its 50s time zone and entertain you with timeless comedy.

Enter into the spirit for decking the halls with some festive choral readings at New Era this December. Join us for seasonal literary fare, including pieces from Charles Dickens, P G Wodehouse, Dylan Thomas, Laurie Lee, Kenneth Grahame and Benjamin Zephaniah, amongst others, in an evening of nostalgia and festive cheer to get you in the mood for Christmas. There will be a mix of prose and poetry, of comedy and drama, of modern and traditional: but all are Christmas Crackers! Performances are on Tuesday 17th, Wednesday18th, and Thursday19th December. We will be serving mince pies and mulled wine, included in the ticket price of £15.

New Era Players (Newbury) want backstage helpers.