Ten Things to see in West Sussex, Friday, November 30, to Thursday, December 6

Wondering what do over the next seven days? Here are ten of the best events.
Alan Carr. Picture by John WrightAlan Carr. Picture by John Wright
Alan Carr. Picture by John Wright

1. Zoe Lyons – Entry Level Human.

Friday, November 30, 8pm, £17, The Hawth studio, Crawley, 01293 553636, www.hawth.co.uk. Stand-up comedian Zoe Lyons brings her latest show to Crawley. A spokesperson said: “She’s a regular on Mock The Week and a much-loved figure on Live At The Apollo, as well as being all over Radio 4 – for whom she’s making her very own series in 2018, after extensive stints on The News Quiz, Just A Minute, The Now Show and plenty more. All this makes it sound like Zoe Lyons has some sort of idea what she’s doing in life. But does she? Or is she the perfect example of an Entry Level Human?”

2. East Grinstead Christmas Comedy Gala.

Saturday, December 1, 7.30pm, £15 in advance, £17 on the door, Chequer Mead, East Grinstead, 01342 302000, www.chequermead.org.uk. Rounding off the year, this staple of the festive season will be headlined by the hilarious Joe Wilkinson. An award-winning comedian, Joe’s distinct style and unusual wit has made him a firm favourite on 8 Out of 10 Cats, Him & Her, Live at the Electric and Taskmaster.

3. Kate Humble.

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Friday, November 30, 7.30pm, £24.50, The Capitol, Horsham, 01403 750220, www.thecapitolhorsham.co.uk. TV presenter Kate Humble will talk about her new book, Thinking on my Feet, as well as her time working with wildlife, the far flung places that this has taken her to and the inspiring people she has met on her travels. There’s also a chance to go ‘behind the camera’ as Kate describes how the programmes are made along with some anecdotes about filming. The second series of Kate’s BBC programme, Back to the Land, which aired in autumn is the latest in a long line of shows Kate has presented for the BBC, including Springwatch and Autumm Watch.

4. Mark Bebbington.

Sunday, December 2, £18, 3pm, The Hawth studio, Crawley, 01293 553636, www.hawth.co.uk. A piano recital from the acclaimed musician. Scarlatti – Sonatas in F sharp K318, B minor K87 and D major K492; Schubert – Sonata in B flat major D960; Liszt/Verdi – Danza sacra e duetto finale d’Aida; Liszt/Wagner – Isolde’s Liebestod; Liszt/Donizetti – Reminiscences de Lucia di Lammermoor; and Liszt/Verdi – Rigoletto Paraphrase de Concert. Visit markbebbington.co.uk to find out more.

5. Royal Ballet Live – The Nutcracker.

Live cinema screening. Monday, December 3, 7.15pm, £16 (discounts £14), The Hawth, Crawley, 01293 553636. This show offers a Christmas treat for the whole family. A spokesperson said: “Tchaikovsky’s much-loved music is matched to a magical adventure on Christmas Eve for Clara and her Nutcracker doll. Their journey to the Land of Sweets brings with it some of the most familiar of all ballet moments, such as the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Waltz of the Flowers.”

6. Mike Wilmot, Kelly Convey and Alan Carr.

Work-in-progress show. Wednesday, December 5, 8pm, £16.50, Assembly Hall, Worthing, 01903 206206, worthingtheatres.co.uk. This is a chance to see Alan Carr, one of the UK’s most popular comedians, host one of his first work-in-progress shows, alongside the ‘unsung hero of UK comedy’ Mike Wilmot and So You Think You’re Funny finalist Kelly Convey. They have recently returned to England from a fantastic run at the Edinburgh Fringe.

7. Madagascar The Musical.

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Tuesday to Saturday, December 4-8, various times, Theatre Royal Brighton, 0844 871 7650, www.atgtickets.com/venues/theatre-royal-brighton. Matt Terry, winner of 2016’s X-Factor, is playing Alex The Lion in the new stage adaptation of Madagascar The Musical. A spokesperson said: “Based on the smash DreamWorks animated motion picture, Madagascar The Musical follows all of your favourite ‘crack-a-lackin’ friends as they escape from their home in New York’s Central Park Zoo and find themselves on an unexpected journey to the madcap world of King Julien’s Madagascar.” The musical is directed by the award-winning Kirk Jameson with choreography from Fabian Aloise. “Join Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe, Gloria the hip hip Hippo and those hilarious, plotting penguins as they bound onto stage in the musical adventure of a lifetime.”

8. The Snail And The Whale.

Wednesday to Saturday, December 5-8. Tickets from £14, Chichester Festival Theatre, www.cft.org.uk, 01243 781312. Join a tiny snail on her trip around the world in this magical and musical production inspired by the best-selling picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. A tiny snail longs to see the world, so she hitches a lift on the tail of a humpback whale. Together they go on an amazing journey, experiencing sharks and penguins, icebergs and volcanoes. But when the whale gets beached, how will the tiny snail save him? Suitable for ages four and up.

9. Christmas Crooners.

Thursday, December 6, 7.30pm, £18-£20, Chequer Mead, East Grinstead, 01342 302000, www.chequermead.org.uk. Sing along to great songs from Christmas past at Chequer Mead this December. Now in its tenth record-breaking year, Christmas Crooners is packed with festive favourites including the hits of Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra. The cast of West-End singers are backed by the superb swing band The Jazz- All-Stars. They perform popular Christmas hits as well as swing arrangements of Christmas hymns and songs. A spokesperson said: “This romantic holiday special is full of swinging Christmas cheer, and witty banter – a perfect show for the perfect season.”

10. Aladdin.

December 7-January 6, The Hawth, Crawley. Aladdin stars Dancing on Ice’s Jason Gardiner as Abanazar, Shaheen Jafargholi as Aladdin, Jess Robinson as the Spirit of the Ring, Nathaniel Morrison as the Genie of the Lamp, Ian Jones as Wishee Washee, Phil Stewart as the Emperor and Emily Day as Princess Jasmine. The panto also sees the return of two Crawley favourites: Michael J Batchelor as Widow Twankey and Richard Franks as PC Pongo.