Five of the best things to do in and around Milton Keynes in the next seven days

1 PANTOMIMECinderella, Milton Keynes Theatre, until January 14Join Cinders as she transforms from rags to riches, outwits her very Ugly Sisters, and, with the help of her best friend Buttons and one very magical Fairy Godmother, wins the heart of the dashing Prince Charming. Television, musical theatre, pantomime favourite and Strictly star Brian Conley stars as Buttons alongside fashionista and television presenter Gok Wan as the Fairy Gokmother with Lauren Hall in the title role.Details: atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes

2 MUSICCleo’s 90th Christmas, The Stables, Wavendon, December 15 and 16There can be few better ways to kick off the festive season in style than by taking your seat for Cleo’s annual Christmas celebration. In her 90th birthday year, she’s invited a host of friends and family to create a show packed with great music and seasonal fun, as well as some surprises along the way. These shows are fundraising performances for Wavendon Allmusic Plan, a charity which aims to engage the widest range of people with music in all its diversity.Details: www.stables.org

3 FAMILYStick Man, The Stables, Wavendon, December 18 to 24Following six consecutive Christmas seasons in London’s West End and multiple UK andinternational tours, the joyful adaptation of Children’s Laureate Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s bestselling book is coming to The Stables. As lovers of the story will know, “Stick Man lives in the family tree with his Stick Lady Love and their stick children three” – but the world outside the family tree is a dangerous place for Stick Man. What starts off as a morning jog becomes quite the misadventure - a dog wants to play fetch with him, a swan builds a nest with him and he even ends up on a fire. Audiences will discover whether Stick Man will ever get back to the family tree. The production features a trio of top actors and is packed full of puppetry, songs, live music and funky moves. It’s presented by Freckle Productions, whose shows aim to fire the imaginations of young audiences who may be experiencing theatre for the very first time while also changing ideas of what performance can be for regular followers.Details: www.stables.org

4 MUSICMoulettes, The Stables, Wavendon. December 21The eclectic art rockers come to The Stables with their Preternatural tour. The band have always been an evolving phenomenon, and each album has seen a significant leap into new uncharted territory, their unusual music vision prompting comparisons as disparate as the Kronos Quartet, Roxy Music, Frank Zappa, Kate Bush, early Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Radiohead, Kraftwerk and Björk. It’s the last chance to see the breathtaking live show that has taken the band across Europe from Poland to Malta, and across Canada from Nova Scotia to Victoria Island.Details: www.stables.org

5 MUSICWolverton Town Band, locations around Milton Keynes, December 15 to 24It’s a busy time for the in-demand band, with Christmas tunes aplenty being played by the talented musicians. They will be playing carols at the White Hart pub in Sherington tomorrow (Friday) at 6.30pm and will perform their own Christmas Brass Concert at St George’s Church on Saturday, December 16, from 6.30pm, promising everyone’s festive favourites with a sprinkle of fun. Admission is free. The music continues at Tesco in Stratford Road, Wolverton, on Sunday, December 17, from 10am, when they will be playing carols, while two evenings of carols will take place around the streets of Wolverton on Monday, December 18, and Thursday, December 21, from 7pm to 9pm. The season culminates in a concert around the Christmas tree in The Square on Christmas Eve from 3pm to 4pm. The band has a long and proud history going back over 100 years. Today, it is a friendly group of players who love playing music and want to keep the brass band tradition alive in Wolverton. Details: wolvertontownband.org.uk