How Sussex is celebrating Christmas this December

Shows and pantomimes

Aladdin

Emporium, London Road, Brighton, until Sat, Jan 9, 2pm and 7pm, from £17.50/£14.50, visit emporiumbrighton.com/

THE Arabian Nights tale is brought to life by the same team behind last year’s Sleeping Beauty in what is billed as the city centre’s only professional pantomime.

Cinderella

Pavilion Theatre, Marine Parade, Worthing, Fri, Dec 4, to Sun, Jan 3, various times, from £13, 01903 206206

DANCE stars Matt Evers from Dancing On Ice and Camilla Dallerup from Strictly are joined by A1’s Mark Read in the rags to riches story, complete with two ugly sisters and the comedy double act of Keith and Ben Simmons as Baron Hardup and the Brokers Man.

A Christmas Carol

New Venture Theatre, Bedford Place, Brighton, Fri, Dec 4, to Sat, Dec 12, 7.30pm, 2.30pm matinees Sat and Sun, from £8, call 01273 746118

SARAH Davies directs her own adaptation of Charles Dickens’ morality tale as the miser Scrooge is encouraged to change his ways by a series of spirits.

Scottee’s Camp As Christmas

The Spire, St Mark’s Church, Eastern Road, Brighton, Sat, Dec 5, 8pm, £15/£10, 01273 273870

EXPECT camp catchphrases, cheap tinsel and fizzy wine in this celebration of mediocre talent curated by the award-winning cabaret artist and Peter Kay lookalike.

Miracle On 34th Street

Royal Hippodrome, Seaside Road, Eastbourne, Wed, Dec 9, to Fri, Dec 11, 7pm, 2.30pm matinees Thurs and Sat, from £12.50, 01323 802020

Connaught Theatre, Union Place, Worthing, Mon, Dec 14, to Thurs, Dec 17, 7.30pm, 2.30pm matinee Wed, £24/£21.50, 01903 206206

BASED on the 1947 movie, the musical Miracle On 34th Street is the story of a young girl who comes to believe a kindly old bearded man called Kris Kringle is the real Santa Claus. Stars Danny Lane and Hannah Thompson.

Peter Pan

Devonshire Park Theatre, Compton Street, Eastbourne, Fri, Dec 11, to Sun, Jan 17, various times, from £12.50, 01323 412000

CORONATION Street’s smiling psychopath Brian Capron dons the wig and beard to play Captain Hook in Eastbourne’s family panto, with support from Tucker and Martyn Knight as Smee and Mrs Smee, and Britain’s Got Talent’s Twist & Pulse.

Jack And The Beanstalk

The Hawth, Hawth Avenue, Crawley, Fri Dec 11, to Sun, Jan 3, various times, from £19.50, 01293 553636

EASTENDER Steve McFadden and Rebecca Keatley from CBeebies’ Let’s Play star in the tale of a daft young dairy farmer conned out of his prime cow for a handful of beans.

Andrew Barnett Jones: The Panto Game

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre, New Road, Sat, Dec 12, 11.30am and 2.30pm, £7/£5, 01273 709709

THE storywriter behind TV favourites Diddy TV, Shaun The Sheep and Dennis The Menace And Gnasher, Andrew Barnett Jones, creates a brand new one-man panto purely from audience suggestions and a roll of the dice.

Father Christmas Needs A Wee

Connaught Studio, Union Place, Worthing, Sat, Dec 12, to Sun, Dec 13, 11am and 2pm, £8, 01903 206206

IT’S not exactly The Night Before Christmas, as Santa discovers all that sherry goes right through him, in this adaptation of Nicholas Allan’s book.

Hansel And Gretel

Rialto, Dyke Road, Brighton, Sat, Dec 12, noon and 3pm, £12/£10, 01273 725230

SOPHIE Flack of Brighton-based Lantern Light reimagines the Brothers Grimm classic with songs, dancing, magic and pebble hunting. Audience members are encouraged to come dressed as their favourite fairy-tale character.

Arabian Nights

Emporium, London Road, Brighton, Sun, Dec 6, Dec 13 and Jan 3, 6.30pm, £10/£5.50, emporiumbrighton.com

WINDMILL Young Actors bring Sheherazaad’s stories up to date, led by director Tanushka Marah.

A Christmas Carol

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre, New Road, Tues, Dec 15, to Sun, Dec 20, various times, £12/£10, 01273 709709

BOX Clever give a modern interpretation to Dickens’s Christmas story – giving new takes on Marley’s ghost, Tiny Tim and Scrooge himself using puppets, music a revolving stage set and just three actors.

A Christmas Carol

The Spire, St Mark’s Church, Eastern Road, Brighton, Wed, Dec 16, to Christmas Eve, 6pm and 8.15pm, from £6, www.scroogeinspired.co.uk

DIRECT from starring in the West End favourite The 39 Steps, Gary Sefton directs and stars as Scrooge in this new interpretation of the seasonal story.

Rocky Horror Show

Theatre Royal Brighton, New Road, Fri, Dec 18, to Sat, Jan 2, various times, from £12, 08448 717650

ONCE again Theatre Royal Brighton provides an alternative to the Christmas panto as Richard O’Brien’s cult classic launches a national tour – starring Diana Vickers, S Club 7’s Paul Cattermole and Emmerdale’s Ben Freeman.

Dear Santa

The Hawth Studio, Hawth Avenue, Crawley, Fri, Dec 18, and Sat, Dec 19, 11.15am, 1.30pm, 4.30pm (Sat only), £12.50/£11.50, 01293 553636

ROD Campbell’s picture book is brought to life, as Santa tries to get the most fantastic perfect Christmas present to little Sarah.

A Christmas Carol

Chichester Festival Theatre, Oaklands Park, Chichester, Fri, Dec 18, to Sat, Jan 2, various times, from £10, 01243 781312

CHICHESTER Festival Youth Theatre star in a revival of Bryony Lavery’s ghostly take on Dickens’s seasonal favourite to mark the group’s 30th anniversary, with music and lyrics by Jason Carr.

Flown

Brighton Dome Concert Hall, Church Street, Sat, Dec 19, to Sun, Dec 27, various times, from £10, 01273 709709

HAVING made their city debut at Brighton Festival 2014 Pirates Of The Carabina return for Christmas with their hilarious slapstick tale of a circus group in chaos.

Christmas Variety Show

Royal Hippodrome, Seaside Road, Eastbourne, Sat, Dec 19, to Sun, Dec 27, 2.30pm, tickets £15/£8, 01323 802020

FOLLOWING a series of Thursday afternoon previews, the Royal Hippodrome’s annual Christmas variety show goes on a full run, mixing singing, dancing and laughter for all the family.

Long Nose Puppets

Otherplace At The Basement, Kensington Street, Brighton, Sat, Dec 19, to Sun, Jan 3, 11am and 2pm, £8, 07800 983290

YOUNGSTERS can enjoy two puppet versions of Polly Dunbar picture books at The Basement this Christmas, with Flyaway Katie, featuring music by Gomez’s Tom Gray, until Sun, Dec 27, before the nautical fantasy Arthur’s Dream Boat takes over.

Dracula – The Panto!

Underground Theatre, under the library, Grove Road, Eastbourne, Sat, Dec 19, 2.30pm and 7.30pm, £11/£7, 0845 6801926

THERE’S a nightmare before Christmas edge to this family-friendly seasonal offering, as a panto dame clashes with the prince of darkness, featuring singalong rock classics Bat Out Of Hell, Bad Moon Rising and In The Midnight Hour.

The Christmas Sisters

Emporium, London Road, Brighton, Sun, Dec 20, 10.30am and 11.45am, £5/£7, emporiumbrighton.com

SISTERS Bobetta and Noke live in a box, and have only vaguely heard of things called Christmas, Hallowe’en and Diwali. Audiences aged from three to 12 can help them celebrate in the best way with puppets, comedy, magic and slapstick.

Jack And The Beanstalk

Ropetackle Arts Centre, Little High Street, Shoreham, Sun, Dec 20, to Sun, Jan 3, various times, from £10, 01273 464440

TOM Beard heads up a cast featuring much of Shoreham’s own young acting talent in a tale of magic beans, a fussy cow and a big, bad giant, complete with magic, puppets and songs.

Pitschi

Komedia, Gardner Street, Brighton, Sun, Dec 20, to Sun, Jan 3, 11am, £8.50/£6.50, 0845 2938480

BACK home after a national tour, Natasha Granger stars in Komedia directors Marina Kobler and Colin Granger’s adaptation of Hans Fischer’s tale of a Swiss kitten who dreams of being something other than a cat.

The Cat In The Hat

Connaught Theatre, Union Place, Worthing, Mon, Dec 21, to Christmas Eve, 2pm and 4pm, £12.50, 01323 412000

DR Seuss’s trickster feline drops into Worthing, accompanied by chaos-causing Thing 1 and Thing 2, in an adventure for children aged three and above.

1927’s Golem

The Old Market, Upper Market Street, Hove, Tues, Dec 29, to Sat, Jan 16, 7.30pm, 2.30pm Wed Dec 30 and Sat, from £18, 01273 201801

INSPIRED by the original silent horror movie about a Jewish community who build a clay monster to do their bidding, 1927, the company behind the multimedia The Animals And Children Took To The Street bring their West End hit back to the theatre where it first previewed.

Music

Christmas Concert

All Saints Church, The Drive, Hove, Sunday, December 6, 5pm, £12/£10, 01273 415384

SUSSEX Symphony Orchestra is joined by soprano Helen Hardwick and the BBC's Alistair Appleton to narrate The Night Before Christmas in a programme which also includes Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker Suite, and Lane's Wassail Dances.

The Christmas Concerts

Chichester Festival Theatre, Oaklands Park, Mon, Dec 7, to Sat, Dec 12, 7.30pm, £14, 01243 781312

THE Band Of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines and Chichester Cathedral Choir are joined by the six-man choir Close Company to celebrate the season in song.

The City Charity Christmas Carol Concert

All Saints Church, The Drive, Hove, Tues, Dec 8, 7pm, £5/£10, 01273 964200

BBC newsreader Nicholas Owen narrates and introduces the Brighton College Chamber and Prep School Choirs, St Christopher’s Schola Cantorum and the Hangleton Band in a charity celebration raising cash for The Argus Appeal and Martlets Hospice.

Miss Hope Springs Christmas Show

Komedia, Gardner Street, Brighton, Tues, Dec 8, 8pm, £15/£12, 0845 2938480

COMEDY cabaret from Miss Hope Springs, with all-original songs such as Happy Holidays, Santa Is A Woman and Paper Snow giving a certain amount of Christmas glitz.

Andy Williams Christmas Spectacular

Worthing Assembly Hall, Stoke Abbott Road, Thurs, Dec 10, 7.30pm, £36, 01903 206206

Congress Theatre, Carlisle Road, Eastbourne, Tues, Dec 15, 7.30pm, from £29.50, 01323 412000

THE late Andy Williams’ Christmas Spectaculars at his own Moon River Theatre in Branson Missouri were the stuff of legend. Now The Osmonds are bringing the experience to the UK.

Kate Rusby At Christmas

Brighton Dome Concert Hall, Church Street, Fri, Dec 11, 8pm, from £23/£15.50, 01273 709709

ACCOMPANIED by a brass quintet, Kate Rusby explores the Yorkshire and North Derbyshire Christmas songs that were thrown out of Victorian churches for being too upbeat, no doubt including selections from third Christmas album The Frost Is All Over.

A Christmas Spectacular

Congress Theatre, Carlisle Road, Eastbourne, Fri, Dec 11, to Sun, Dec 13, Fri/Sat 7.30pm, Sat 2.30pm, Sun 3pm, £14, 01323 412000

EASTBOURNE’S Rattonians mix musical favourites with seasonal songs.

Brighton Festival Chorus: Christmas Concert

Brighton Dome Concert Hall, Church Street, Sat, Dec 12, 6pm, from £12.50, 01273 709709

THE Festival Chorus are joined by Brighton Festival Youth Choir and Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra for this homegrown celebration of Christmas music.

A Merry Little Christmas

St Mary’s House, Bramber, Sun, Dec 13, 7.30pm, £37.50, stmarysbramber.co.uk

DIVA Opera lead a selection of favourite songs, arias and Christmas carols in the company of the High Sherrif of East Sussex.

Sussex Voiceworks

St Mary de Haura Church, East Street, Shoreham, Sun, Dec 13, 4pm, £12/£15, 01273 419665

PETER Farrant conducts Sussex Voiceworks in a programme of festive carols.

Lorraine Bowen Christmas Singalong

De La Warr Pavilion, Marina, Bexhill, Sun, Dec 13, 5pm, from £10, 01424 229111

THE Britain’s Got Talent star and handbell ringer Sandra Winter lead a family-friendly singalong, followed by a screening of classic musical Meet Me In St Louis.

Christmas With Blake

Royal Hippodrome, Seaside Road, Eastbourne, Thurs, Dec 17, 8pm, £23, 01323 802020

THE Brit Award-winning trio showcase their debut Christmas album featuring a mix of Yuletide favourites.

Krakenhaus Xmas 2015

The Haunt, Pool Valley, Brighton, Thurs, Dec 17, 7pm, £14/£16, 01273 606312

BRITISH Sea Power’s annual seasonal celebration mixes live sets from the band with Christmas side shows and special guests.

Viennese Strauss Christmas Gala

Congress Theatre, Carlisle Road, Eastbourne, Fri, Dec 18, 7.30pm, £23/£21, 01323 412000

THE British Philharmonic Concert Orchestra recreate the New Year’s Viennese concert with Strauss waltzes and traditional Christmas songs.

Richard Durrant: Concerts By Candlelight

St Mary’s And St Peter’s Church, Wilmington, Fri, Dec 18, 7.30pm, £16/£14, 01273 453422

Ropetackle Arts Centre, Little High Street, Shoreham, Sat, Dec 19, 3pm, £16, 01273 464440

All Saints Church, Findon Valley, Sun, Dec 20, 7.30pm, £12, 01903 872090

SHOREHAM-BASED guitar virtuoso Richard Durrant embarks on his third intimate Christmas tour, augmented by special guest singer Amy Kakoura.

Tenors Unlimited

All Saints Church, The Drive, Hove, Sat, Dec 19, 7pm, £12.50/£5, 0208 5346926

THE self-styled Rat Pack of opera, Scott Ciscon, Paul Martin and Jem Sharples, perform a charity Christmas concert in aid of Rockinghorse, featuring favourite carols.

Classical Christmas Concert

Trading Boundaries, Sheffield Green, Uckfield, Sun, Dec 20, 8pm, £35, www.tradingboundaries.com

CANDLELIT carols led by tenor Andrew Rees and soprano Jo Appleby, with Gareth Hancock on piano.

A Child’s Christmas In Wales

De La Warr Pavilion, Marina, Bexhill, Sun, Dec 20, 4pm and 7pm, from £20, 01424 229111

THE BBC Singers accompany actor Richard Harrington, of Poldark fame, in a reading of Dylan Thomas’s seasonal poem.

Sussex Chorus Family Concert

King’s Church, Victoria Road, Burgess Hill, Mon, Dec 21, 6.30pm, £12/£3, 01444 412579

FAMILIAR and lesser-known seasonal songs are on the bill for Sussex Chorus’s annual family Christmas concert, conducted by music director Alan Vincent.

Midwinter Ceilidh

Brighton Dome Corn Exchange, Church Street, Tues, Dec 22, 7pm, £8/£5, 01273 709709

THE Sussex Pistols provide the music for the traditional pre-Christmas knees-up.

So This Is Christmas

Congress Theatre, Carlisle Road, Eastbourne, Tues, Dec 22, 7.30pm, from £24, 01323 412000

ONE-TIME pop star Kavana and Hollyoaks favourite Gemma Merna lead a night of traditional and pop Christmas favourites for all the family.