★★★★☆ 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.

★★★★☆ 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. 

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.

★★★★☆ 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.

★★★★☆ If you’ve ever found yourself doing the Tragedy dance in your kitchen, harmonising to One for Sorrow, or secretly believe that glitter counts as an accessory, then Here & Now: The Steps Musical is the night out you’ve been waiting for. 

★★★★☆ Set in a liberal Californian private school that prides itself on tolerance, inclusivity, and community, Jonathan Spector’s Eureka Day has lost none of its relevance since its 2018 debut. Vaccines are still a hot topic, and misinformation, virtue signalling, and the search for moral high ground are certainly as prevalent as ever.

★★★★☆ There’s something irresistibly charming about the idea of escaping modern life to live out the fantasy of the 1950s — A world of starched collars, freshly baked cakes, and the comforting sound of a cocktail shaker at five o’clock sharp.

★★★★☆ Mary Whitehouse spent her life battling what she saw as filth on stage and screen, so what happens when she becomes the star of a play herself? The Last Stand of Mrs Mary Whitehouse asks whether this self-styled crusader is remembered as a beacon for decency or as a meddling censor whose grip on the arts destroyed creativity.

★★★★☆ Joe DiPietro’s F**king Men cleverly explores how seemingly simple sexual encounters can ripple out to change lives in unexpected ways.