There’s plenty on at Malvern Theatres this December...

Eric and Little Ern

December 2 - 7:45pm - Tickets £16.80

This affectionate and funny homage to what some consider Britain’s greatest comedy double-act brings back warm memories of a bygone era. The performers recreate some of the finest moments of Eric and Ernie’s television and stage performances, accompanied by footage from the archives.

Calamity Jane

December 1-6 – Evenings 7:30pm, Wednesday & Saturday Matinee 2:30pm – Tickets from £25.20 (under 26s £8.96)

Calamity Jane can outrun and outshoot any man in Deadwood. Hard, boastful and desperate to impress, she travels to Chicago on the Deadwood Stage to recruit a star, Adelaide Adams. But things don’t go too smoothly for Calamity, as everyone in town favours the new girl and she struggles to keep her jealousy and pride in check. It takes her long standing enemy Wild Bill Hickok to make her see sense, and realise her Secret Love…

Starring Jodie Prenger (Oliver!, Spamalot and One Man Two Guvnors) and Tom Lister (The Water Babies, Emmerdale) alongside a cast of talented actors and musicians, this brand new production gets to the heart and soul of the musical.

Beyond The Barricade

December 6 – 7:45pm – Tickets £22.50

Celebrating its 15th year with a new show for 2014, the UK’s longest running musical theatre concert, Beyond the Barricade re-creates original West End/Broadway musical hit songs with authenticity and features a cast of past principal performers from the West End production of Les Miserables, and the 25th Anniversary Concert at the 02 Arena.

The People’s Orchestra – The Snowman

Sunday December 7 – 1:30pm – Tickets £16.80 (concessions available)

An afternoon of festive fun for the family – classic Christmas songs and stories will be followed by The People’s Orchestra playing the original orchestration to a live-screening of the classic film The Snowman.

Raymond Briggs’ book The Snowman, published in 1978, was adapted into a 26-minute animated film and first screened on television during Boxing Day in 1982. The People’s Orchestra will be playing the original music composed by Howard Blake, which includes the famous song Walking in the Air, originally performed by Peter Auty and later covered by Aled Jones.

The rest of the concert will feature popular Christmas classics such as Santa Claus is coming to Town, Have Yourself A Very Merry Christmas, It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year and Jingle Bells.

The People’s Orchestra – Christmas Music by Candlelight

Sunday December 7 – 4:30pm – Tickets from £13.44 (concessions available)

Christmas Music by Candlelight will feature pieces from William Boyce, Prokofiev and Vaughan Williams. The audience will also have the chance to raise the rafters with classic carols, Hark the Herald Angel Sing, Once in Royal David’s City and O Come All Ye Faithful.

The People’s Orchestra was formed in 2012 and highlights in its brief history include an appearance at ‘The Hobbit’ première at the Millennium Point, the ‘BBC WM Christmas Concert’ at Symphony Hall and more recently the orchestra performed an evening of war-themed music with RAF Pilot and Prisoner of War John Peters as special guest.

Pantomime – Aladdin

Thursday December 11 – Sunday January 4 – Tickets from £10.02

Vacuum your magic carpets, dust off your old lamps and get ready for Aladdin.

Aladdin, the poor son of a launderette owner, hopes to marry the Princess, but will his plans be foiled by the evil Abanaza?

On hand to help Aladdin is the Slave of the Ring, and hindering rather than helping with his antics will be Wishee Washee.

Aladdin will be played by Hi-5’s Chris Edgerley, the Princess by Rebecca Marks and Abanazar played by Robert Powell. Wishee Washee will be played by Milkshake presenter Derek Moran, Widow Twankey is played by popular pantomime dame Ian Good. They’ll be joined by Mark James as PC Pong, Spencer K Gibbins as The Emperor and Connor J Barrie as The Genie.

The show, with a full supporting cast, features elaborate sets and costumes aswell as a CGI flying carpet sequence.

Kate Rusby at Christmas

Thursday December 18 – 7:45pm – Tickets £24.64 (under 16s £16.80)

Kate Rusby is steeped in her local traditions and showcases the carols and songs learnt through her childhood in her native South Yorkshire. Come along to hear new variations of familiar carols mostly unheard outside the area, together with a selection of old favourites.

Armonico Consort & Baroque Players – A German Christmas

Friday December 19 – 7:30pm – Tickets from £17.92

Heinrich Schutz is widely regarded as being the most important German composer before JS Bach, and is also thought to have studied with Monteverdi in Venice. The influence of Venetian music on these composers is strong, and the combination of the perfectionism of German compositions of the time with the vibrancy of the Venetian school, created works of much colour, drama and melody. The show will celebrate that German influence.

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For more information, visit: www.malvern-theatres.co.uk