Theatre around MK: your guide to the week ahead and what's coming up

Revel in a night of burlesque entertainment

WNO: Madam Butterfly

Joachim Herz’s Madam Butterfly has been with us for over three decades and with good reason. This is a classic, traditional staging of the much-loved opera. While being completely faithful to the composer’s intentions it also critiques imperialism to powerful effect.

www.atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes

The Burlesque Show

Northampton Royal, January 13 & 14

Following its success in previous years, the show returns with a new triumphant medley of tricks, titillation and tease. This uproarious revue of razor-wit, contemporary cabaret and frisky burlesque features the daring antics of scantily clad showgirls, the sultriest of sirens and the edgiest comic-cabaret masters. This high energy showcase of fantastic song, dance, circus and very surprising skills must be seen to be believed. Audiences can expect high camp comedy, risqué rapport and theatrical danger from artistes including Britain’s leading comedy magician Pete Firman, the hilarious and flexible comic cabaret, delectable striptease artist Lena Mae and the daring duo Robin & Jack who promise to bare all. Your hostess is Lili La Scala.

www.royalandderngate.co.uk

The Full Monty

Northampton Derngate, January 16-21

The British film about six out of work Sheffield steelworkers with nothing to lose took the world by storm.

Featuring great songs by Donna Summer, Hot Chocolate and Tom Jones, it won Best Touring Production at the UK Theatre Awards. Drop absolutely everything… and go book!

www.royalandderngate.co.uk

Stephen K Amos

The Stables, January 15

For such a mild-mannered chap, Stephen has recently been feeling quite annoyed. Thankfully, this talented comic is not keeping that annoyance to himself; instead he’ll be offloading it at the Wavendon venue as part of his World Famous tour.

www.stables.org

Rory Bremner

The Stables, April 10

Britain’s best-known satirical impressionist is back!

With Trump, Boris and Brexit fresh in the memory, Rory’s on a mission to make sense (and nonsense) of it all.

He will be joined by special surprise guests; some politicians, some comedians.

www.stables.org

Dick Whittington

Milton Keynes Theatre, until January 15

The tinsel is down, the carols have been replaced by the parade of fodder that passes as the Top 10 these days (what, too much?) and life has adopted that bleak January feel.

By now, the diets have probably been ditched and the sofa has replaced the treadmill...again.

Yup, dreary January is gobbling us up.

But stop.

Enough already with all the pessimism and misery.

There is still time to go whoop and cheer and laugh your socks off at MK Theatre as Dick Whittington performances continue into its final week.

MK Theatre still has the Christmas tree, the tinsel and those flashing fairy wands to waves around – hurrah.

Happy days are here...but not for long.

The curtain falls for the last time on Sunday night, when Stacey Solomon, Samantha Womack, Kev Orkian and the clan wave ta-ra to the new city.

We’ve loved the panto parade, and this season has been one of the best the venue has ever hosted.

If you’ve not been thus far, pick up your plastic pal and go give January a little perk up.

You’ll thank us, honest. And besides, panto isn’t just for Christmas – it is for January too!