• The Wizard of Oz: Watermill Theatre Reviews (Fri 17 Nov to Sun 31 Dec).
• Blithe Spirit: New Era Players (Thu 23 Nov to Sat 2 Dec).
• Beauty and the Beast: Corn Exchange (Fri 24 Nov to Sun 31 Dec).
• Jack and the Beanstalk: Oxford Playhouse (Fri 24 Nov to Sun 7 Jan).
• Two: Woodley Theatre (Tue 28 Nov).
• Goldilocks and the Three Bears: St Peter's Players (Wed 29 Nov to Sat 2 Dec).
• High Society: The Mill at Sonning (Wed 29 Nov to Sat 20 Jan).
• Yerma: Theatre at the cinema (Thu 30 Nov).
• Goldilocks and the Three Bears: DADS (Thu 30 Nov to Sat 2 Dec).
• PantoMania: Hook Players (Thu 30 Nov to Sat 2 Dec).
• Oskar's Amazing Adventure: Arlington Arts Centre (Sat 2 Dec).
• The Panto Puzzle: Russell Players (Sat 2 Dec to Sun 10 Dec).
• A Christmas Carol: Creation Theatre Company (Sat 2 Dec to Sat 6 Jan).
• Glacier: Old Fire Station (Mon 4 Dec to Sat 23 Dec).
• Macbeth: Oxford Theatre Guild (Tue 5 Dec to Sat 9 Dec).
• The Pirates of Penzance: WLOS (Wed 6 Dec to Sat 9 Dec).
• Away with the Fairies at Christmas: Drayton Players (Fri 8 Dec to Sat 9 Dec).
• Peter Pan: The Haymarket (Fri 8 Dec to Sun 31 Dec).
• The Lightbulb Princess: Pegasus Theatre (Sat 9 Dec to Sun 10 Dec).
• Jack and the Beanstalk: The Kenton Theatre (Sat 9 Dec to Sun 31 Dec).
• Sleeping Beauty: Hexagon (Sat 9 Dec to Sun 7 Jan).

See What's on for a list of everything.

New Era Players' next production from 23rd November to 2nd December is Blithe Spirit. Fussy, cantankerous novelist Charles Condomine has remarried but finds himself haunted (literally) by the ghost of his late first wife, Elvira, after a séance goes awry. Clever, insistent and well aware of Charles's shortcomings, Elvira is called up by a visiting “happy medium”, the eccentric and flighty Madame Arcati, and proceeds to wreak havoc in Charles and Ruth’s previously happy home. Noël Coward himself labelled this play 'an improbable farce' and it is full of his typical waspish humour and some delicious one-liners.

Russell Players' next production in Swallowhurst between 2nd and 10th December is The Panto Puzzle. Dame Dolly Mixture and Cheeky Charlie arrive at the theatre only to find that the pantomime has been cancelled for this year. The caretaker reveals that previous pantomimes are stored in boxes when they are not in use. He agrees to show Dolly and Charlie the panto boxes, only to discover that someone has been tampering with them and three things are missing from Cinderella's box. A distraught Cinderella has been left a cryptic note which is the only clue to the identity of the thief and the whereabouts of the stolen goods. It is clear the villain is set on causing as much disruption to the pantomimes as possible. He or she needs to be stopped! With the help of a rather surly emergency fairy, and some out-of-date fairy dust Dolly and Charlie visit the other pantomimes in their quest to identify the culprit and recover the missing items.

Creation Theatre's seasonal show from 2nd December to 6th January is A Christmas Carol at the North Wall, Oxford. It's a new spin on theirr 2017 production of A Christmas Carol (see the review here), complete with suitably grim Victorians, a Fezziwig party you’ll never forget and, at its heart, the most christmassy tale of redemption around.

The much loved Aldermaston York Nativity Play returns again this year at St Mary the Virgin Church, Aldermaston from 7th to 10th December. Last year's Newbury Weekly Review said "carefully staged tableau, good acting by all participants, colourful costumes and well-designed lighting". This year you can book the free tickets online.

Boundary Players have another murder mystery on 9th December on behalf of Save the Children.
It is audition and casting night at the Border Players Theatre (BPT) for their next production. They intend to stage a play called Mellor Returns at Christmas in which the grandson of Lady Chatterley’s lover is the central character. A small extract from it is used by the characters as an audition piece. It has been written by a local author who will not be charging them any royalties, but it is of dubious quality. The night has also been organised around a ‘Lady Chatterley’s Lover’ themed ‘Open Evening’ at Englefield House. The group hope this will attract more members and better still a paying audience. The group has struggled over the last few years and only survived through the generosity of the new committee chair Paul. His largesse though has created some tensions in the group. Finally the group’s theatre may also be under threat from a new landlord seeking to maximise the rental. The group do not know the identity of the new landlord who bought the theatre just last month and so far, have only had email dealings with a managing agent.

Compton Players' next production is a Murder Mystery Evening on 15th December. Uncover the secrets behind Robin Emblind, manager at the local bank Grabbit & Run. It’s 1843 and Charles Dickens has just published his classic novel A Christmas Carol – many are likening Robin to its main character, Scrooge! Will his employees (including Orson Cart the Coachman and Ida Down the Governess) receive the Christmas bonus they’ve been expecting, or will there be an even bigger, more gruesome surprise ahead? Perhaps the unexpected arrival of Penny Less, the flower seller will shed some light…

Boundary Players are holding a play reading on 14th December at the William Penney theatre, Tadley at 7:30pm in advance of a production date in April 2024. The play is a new political comedy by Mike Brook and Steve Schollar called We’ll Bring The House Down. Details as follows:
A political comedy in two acts by Mike Brook and Steve Schollar
Royce Owen is the Labour MP for Crystal Palace South but despite a comfortable majority, he thinks he’s in trouble. Having confidently campaigned in support of two leadership candidates who lost he is now desperate to curry favour with the Jeremy Corbyn leadership. Will sharing his Commons office with left wing Dave Tanner help him or should he consider joining the MPs plotting to set up the new ‘Impartial Group’? Under pressure from the ambitious chair of his local party, his son and local Trade Union reps, will Royce find a way forward or will he realise that he just doesn’t care enough to carry on?
11 roles – 7 male 3 female and 2 variable, but there may be scope to convert a male role.

New Era Players (Newbury) want backstage helpers.