Father Christmas. Photo by Genevieve Girling. The Belgrade Theatre will also be playing host to the stage adaptation of Raymond Briggs’s much-loved classic Father Christmas, between Thursday 3 December and Sunday 27 December in the B2 Theatre. Preview Join Santa as he awakes from a dream of sun, sea and sand only to find it is the busiest day of the year: Christmas Eve. Watch as he prepares for his Christmas deliveries, feeds his reindeer and finally takes flight into the sno

Craig Hollingsworth, Abiola Falokun and Iain Lauchlan. Photo by Joe Bailey. Beauty and the Beast, written and directed by, and also starring the award-winning Iain Lauchlan, at the Belgrade Theatre from Wednesday 18 November until Saturday 2 January 2027. Preview Things are looking bleak for beautiful Belle! Kidnapped by a frightening Beast, she is locked away in a terrifying castle with little hope of escape. But unbeknownst to her, the Beast is actually a handsome prin

Andrew Ashton as the Snowman, Tate as The Boy. Photo by Johan Persson. Production Design Anna Fleiscule. The Snowman is at Birmingham Rep from 20 October to 1 November 2026 before moving onto the Peacock Theatre from 21 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. Directed by Will Tuckett, Review by Ellie Blackwell. The Snowman at The Rep oozes with comfort, homeliness and wonder. With a pirouetting Santa Claus, parties in the North Pole, toyboxes coming alive, and snowmen that fly, it

Box Tale Soup in association with the Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham present The Wind in the Willows. At the Collingwood Centre Hall, Rugby CV22 5DZ on Wednesday 28 October at 2pm. Preview Looking for something different to do with the children this October half term? For one afternoon, swap screens and sofas for the riverbank, the Wild Wood and the wonderfully chaotic world of Mr Toad. Kenneth Grahame’s much-loved story comes to life with imaginative theatre, beautifully craft

Little Shop of Horrors. Photo courtesy of the Belgrade Theatre. From free detective-themed activities and an interactive murder mystery to the deliciously dark musical Little Shop of Horrors, the Belgrade Theatre has plenty to entertain families in Coventry this October half term. Families looking for ways to keep children entertained over the school holidays can enjoy a packed programme of activities and theatre at Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre, with something for budding dete

At rehearsals for The Snowman. Jake, Felix, Tate and Tristan (The Boy). Photo courtesy of the Birmingham Rep. Here's a sneak peep of rehearsals for the Christmas classic The Snowman™, which premieres at The Birmingham Rep from tonight, Tuesday 20 October – Sunday 1 November 2026. The Snowman™ has its press night in Birmingham on Thursday 29 October 2026 at 6pm, then heads to the Peacock Theatre, Sadler’s Wells’ home in the West End, for winter 2026, running from Saturday 21 N

Monarch butterflies. Photo courtesy of Stratford Butterfly Farm. During October half term, from 24 October – 1 November, Stratford-upon-Avon Butterfly Farm will be celebrating the amazing migration story of the Monarch Butterfly, and why they are associated with Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead). The Monarch Butterfly is recognised for its bright orange wings, with black and white markings. Each year, millions migrate up to 3,000 miles from Canada and the USA to the forests of

Matt Parker. Photo courtesy of the artist. Getting Triggy with It: Matt Parker Does the Maths, Warwick Arts Centre on 14 October 2026. Review by Alison Manning You may not think humour and maths necessarily go together, but they do so seamlessly in this entertaining show, Getting Triggy with It: Matt Parker Does the Maths which came to Warwick Arts Centre on 14 October. My maths-obsessed teenager is already guffawing uncontrollably before the end of the opening sequence. As

Photo courtesy of the BMM. Are you ready for an October Half-Term to remember? From 24 October – 1 November, the British Motor Museum is bringing a full calendar of activities and experiences to enjoy, inspired by Forza Horizon 6: The Experience. This exciting new exhibition, which opened in May, gives visitors the chance to discover a fantastic line-up of cars from the new game and get behind the wheel of a state-of-the-art racing simulator to test their mettle in the digit

Miniature weight by Three Dandy. Photo by Rob Tysall Pro Photography. The Miniatura Show takes place this weekend, 10 – 11 October 2026 at Stoneleigh NAEC near Coventry. Open from 10am to 4pm. Preview It’s Miniatura time once more! The fabulous show of all things miniature crafted by some of the best miniaturists in the country. Make sure you have your tickets to enjoy this incredible event. Miniatura has been running since 1983, founded by Muriel and Bob Hopwood and now unde

The Snowman at the Birmingham REP from 20 October to 1 November 2026. It then heads to the Peacock Theatre, Sadler Wells home in the West End from 21 November to 3 January 2027. Directed and choreographed by Olivier award-winning Will Tuckett. The production is based on the much-loved wordless picture book by Raymond Briggs published by Penguin and featuring Howard Blake’s acclaimed score, including the iconic Walking in the Air. Preview Sharing the role of The Boy in thi

Matt Parker. Photo courtesy of the artist. Getting Triggy With It: Matt Parker does the maths, at Warwick Arts Centre on Wednesday 14 October starting at 7.15pm. Preview Matt Parker talks a lot of maths. He's a NYT best-selling author and sold-out stand-up performer, as well as a popular YouTube personality. Matt has previously held world records for both the Rubik’s Cube and Space Invaders. In the pursuit of maths, Matt has: flipped a coin 10,000 times, travelled to Antarcti

Playbox Theatre Open Day. Photo credit Playbox. From a hotel room in Leek Wootton to the Dream Factory — four decades of theatre exclusively for young people In September 1986 Mary King created Playbox Theatre in a hotel room in Leek Wootton, Warwickshire. Always designed to be unique in being a young people’s theatre, exclusively for them from very young to early twenties. By 1988 performing in Warwick and Kenilworth, by 1989 Balsall Common, the same year Stewart McGill join

Richard Jones begins his show. Photo courtesy of the artist. Richard Jones – The Soldier of Illusion and winner of Britain’s Got Talent 2016 – the only magician in the history of the show incidentally to have taken the top spot, brought his incredible magic to The Albany Theatre last night. Richard who spent 12 years in the British Army currently tours with three different shows, Mission Magic, Masters of Deception and The Sound of Magic which was the show at the Albany Theat

EA participants. Photo courtesy of the BMM. This autumn, the British Motor Museum will partner with Playground Games to host two exciting STEM Careers Days for KS2 students. Held on 13 & 14 October, the days will be packed with hands-on activities, interactive tours, and inspirational talks. These events will give students the chance to explore real-world STEM skills and discover how their interests and school studies could lead to future careers. Each day runs from 9:30am to

The Retro Truck Show held at the weekend. Photo courtesy of the BMM. The British Motor Museum has even more key motoring shows coming up this Autumn. The Museum has already hosted a packed calendar of events throughout the summer months including last weekend's Retro Truck Show on 5 & 6 September. Still to come are the MX-5 Owners Club National Rally on 13 September, DR1VR Show on 20 September, Rustival on 26 September, Jaguars at Gaydon on 27 September, Porsche Boxster 30t

Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry announces what’s coming up this Autumn/Winter 2026/27 season. Preview Astronaut Tim Peake. Photo courtesy of Warwick Arts Centre. There’s monstrous tales, award-winning theatre, electrifying dance and some of the brightest visual art stars set for Warwick Arts Centre’s Autumn/Winter 2026-2027 Season. The UK’s most significant exhibition of contemporary art, British Art Show 10, opens in Coventry on 2 October 2026 (until 10 Jan 2027), with Warwi

Members of UK Garrison and Rebel Legion. Photo by Rob Tysall Pro Photography. It was fun and games all the way at MCM Comic Con held at the Birmingham NEC recently. Around 8,000 visitors attended many dressed as their favourite character. Also, with 110 exhibitors it was the ideal shopping opportunity – the place to buy unique gifts or keepsakes. Clothing, steampunk, hats, T-shirts, replica fantasy and sci-fi weapons and accessories, unique ornaments, original artwork, jewel

Helpful staff. Photo courtesy of the BMM. The British Motor Museum has been awarded the accreditation of VisitEngland Quality Assured Visitor Attraction following its recent assessment. The Museum achieved an impressive score of 91%, the second year in a row that it has been in the top 10%. The completely objective assessment looks at a number of key areas that are important to any tourist, from pre-arrival communications and first impressions, to cleanliness and catering, wi

Andrew Margerison in A Christmas Carol. Photo by Ben Guest. The Bridge House Theatre, Warwick present three plays around Christmastime. A Christmas Carol: Being a Ghost Story of Christmas on Saturday 28 November, Wind in the Willows on Friday 18 December and The Twelve Days of Christmas on Monday 21 December. Preview by Charles Essex If someone were to say there were only 140 shopping days to Christmas there would probably be a collective groan, as most people would prefer t

Crybabies haunt Greyfriars Kirkyard. Photo credit DuncanMcGlynn. Francesca Moody Productions in association with Plosive Live present Crybabies: The Scaring, directed by Jon Brittain. Premiere at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe at Pleasance Two. Preview Edinburgh Comedy Award Best Newcomer nominees Crybabies (Michael Clarke, James Gault, Ed Jones) join forces with Olivier Award-winning Fleabag and Baby Reindeer producers Francesca Moody Productions and director Jon Brittain