★☆☆☆☆ Suppose you’re heading to the Utilita Arena Birmingham for Peter Kay’s 2025 Better Late Than Never tour, hoping for a night full of belly laughs, sharp stand-up, and cutting-edge comedy. In that case, you may find yourself a little underwhelmed. 

★★★★☆ Nottingham Playhouse's new play for 3- to 8-year-olds takes us beneath the waves to the home of Marina, a young mermaid eager to explore the world above the sea.

★★★★★ Tamworth SnowDome’s Winter Wonderland is a magical, snow-filled adventure that feels like stepping inside a festive dream. Celebrating its 20th year, this Winter Wonderland offers.

★★★★☆ Derby Theatre’s Christmas play takes us back to Dickensian times for Deborah McAndrew’s adaptation of “Oliver Twist”. Featuring a mix of nursery rhymes, Christmas carols, and original musical numbers, this heartwarming tale is brought to life by director Sarah Brigham and a talented cast of actor-musicians who take on multiple roles throughout the story. 

★★★☆☆ Sleeping Beauty is undeniably enjoyable. It’s colourful, cheerful, confidently performed, and family-friendly in the most accessible ways. Kids will adore it. Adults will find plenty to like, even if they find themselves wishing more of the jokes landed with the sharpness Playhouse pantos are known for.

There are few annual traditions as delightfully British as a Christmas pantomime, and Nottingham Theatre Royal’s Cinderella arrives with all the flourish, glitter, and nonsense an audience could hope for. But here’s the question: with such a media-saturated star at the helm, can this production deliver more than a celebrity cameo? Does this Cinderella truly sparkle, or does it rely too heavily on sequins and Strictly lingo?

★★★★☆ Every Christmas, Leicester’s Curve Theatre forgoes the glitter-drenched world of pantomime in favour of something a little warmer and more substantial: the annual Christmas musical.

If you’re hunting for Christmas present ideas for theatre lovers, gifts for writers, or something genuinely useful for the future Olivier-winner in your life, then look no further. Books are the unsung heroes of gift-giving: thoughtful, personal, and guaranteed to outlast the novelty socks sitting in your Amazon basket.

★★★★☆ Lace Market Theatre brings Arthur Miller's The Crucible, an intricate tale of humanity and desperation, to life, as the accused discover the lengths they will go to survive.