These are our picks of the best comedy, musical and entertainment acts coming to Lancashire’s threatres over the next two months.
From stunning stage shows to spectacles of space, ghosts and magic – and even a famous celebrity ‘baring all’ on stage – these are 20 ‘feel good’ events guaranteed to brighten up your New Year.
7. Calendar Girls The Musical
January 23 - 27. Winter Gardens, Blackpool. Tickets from £23.50. THE GIRLS ARE BACK. Following the death of a much-loved husband, a group of ordinary women in a small Yorkshire Women's Institute are prompted to do an extraordinary thing and set about creating a nude calendar to raise money for charity. The story of the Calendar Girls launched a global phenomenon: a million copycat calendars, a record-breaking movie, stage play and now a musical written by Gary Barlow and Tim Firth. Photo: Lancashire Post
8. Rock The Gardens Festival
January 26 & 27. Winter Gardens, Blackpool. ONLINE PRICES - 2 day ticket £34.50 / Friday £18.00 / Saturday £23.50. Banish away the January blues with two days of the finest rock and metal tribute bands that Europe has to offer. The mammoth indoor festival will be kicking off the year in a true show of rock. Photo: Lancashire Post
9. The Wizard of Oz Ballet
Wednesday, January 31. The Atkinson, Southport. Ticket Prices: £18 / £15 concessions / £10 under 16s & dance schools. Enjoy Dorothy, the Scarecrow, Tinman, and Lion, (and yes Toto too) as they seek the Wonderful Wizard to find that there's no place like home! The Wizard of Oz is a two act, full-length, ballet adaptation of the iconic tale, told through the magic of classical dance. Set to a classical score which brings the story to life, this production is family friendly and is the perfect way to introduce children to the classical ballet. The production is presented with beautiful backdrops, stunning theatrical sets and costumes evoking the iconic sketches by W.W. Denslow, from the original publication. Photo: Lancashire Post
10. Blackburn Soul Night
Saturday, January 27. King George's Hall, Blackburn. Tickets £13. Annual return for the ever popular Soul Night. Featuring two rooms of music: Northern in the concert hall and classic and modern in the windsor suite. Photo: Lancashire Post
11. Dave Spikey - Life in a Northern Town
Thursday, February 1. King George's Hall, Blackburn. Tickets from £20. This show is all about Dave's life in ….. well…. a northern town so no surprise there. From his humble working class childhood in the small terraced houses round the mills in Bolton through passing his 11 plus and going to grammar school with an ambition to be a doctor which was thwarted just after his "O" levels. Then at 16 getting a job in the Pathology department at Bolton General Hospital and working there for 32 years ultimately as Chief Biomedical Scientist in Haematology before throwing caution to the wind and leaving to pursue a career in comedy, as you do! Photo: Lancashire Post
12. Coleen Nolan - Naked
Friday, February 9. Blackpool Grand Theatre. £35.00 per ticket. From a child star as the youngest of the 'Nolan Sisters' to TV Personality/Presenter, best-selling author and Agony Aunt, Coleen Nolan has done it all, or so it would seem. Coleen will be taking us back to her first love of performing by singing a selection of her favourite songs which have become the soundtrack to her life. Coleen's life will be laid bare as she openly discusses her love life, lessons learned as well as challenging views on age-appropriate behaviour. Empowering women of any age to rediscover their passions and enjoy life to the max. Photo: Lancashire Post