WREATH AND GARLAND WORKSHOPS

December 6 and 15, tickets £45

Sculpture by the Lakes near Dorchester is hosting Christmas Wreath and Garland workshops with Katie Priestly, who moved to Dorset to grow her family and flowers and retrain in floristry. She now lives on a farm near Dorchester, tending her flowers and her children, providing memorable wedding displays and running floral workshops. Cost includes all materials.

T: 07720 637808

W: sculpturebythelakes.co.uk

JASON MANFORD: MUDDLE CLASS

December 7, tickets £30.75

It’s been a busy few years for Jason Manford since his last smash-hit stand up show, but he returns to the BIC with his Muddle Class tour this month, promising a wealth of new material about growing up ‘working class’ then finding, over the years, that part of him has become ‘middle class’ - causing much confusion!

T: 0844 576 3000

W: bic.co.uk

DICK WHITTINGTON

December 7 to 31, tickets £19.75

Popular children’s TV presenter Chris Jarvis stars as Dick Whittington, this year’s feelgood family pantomime from Lighthouse, Poole. Audiences will be guaranteed plenty of laughs, sparkling new scenery, great contemporary music and audience mayhem as Dick, accompanied by his acrobatic cat sets sail on an adventure in search of fame and fortune. Will he return to become Lord Mayor of London?

T: 01202 280000

W: lighthousepoole.co.uk

JOOLS HOLLAND

December 8, tickets from £33

Musical master of ceremonies Jools Holland and his acclaimed Rhythm & Blues Orchestra have announced their annual musical excursion around the UK and Ireland for 2018, with a date at the BIC's Windsor Hall this December.

T: 0844 576 3000

W: bic.co.uk

SLEEPING BEAUTY

December 8 to January 6, tickets from £19.50

The producers that brought Cinderella and Jack and the Beanstalk to Bournemouth's Pavilion Theatre are this year staging Sleeping Beauty. Starring Rita Simons (Eastenders) as Carabosse, alongside Bournemouth Pavilion pantomime favourites Olivia Birchenough (Milkshake!) as Princess Briar Rose and Noel Brodie as Silly Billy. Jennifer Ellison will play the role of Carabosse from December 8 to 12.

T: 0844 576 3000

W: bic.co.uk

CHRISTMAS CONCERT & MEET SANTA EXPERIENCE

December 8, free

Celebrate the lead-up to Christmas with 100 Voices at Castlepoint. A day filled with music from some wonderful choirs, with something for everyone to enjoy and it’s all for free. Post your letter to Santa at the Santa Post Office and find out if your name is on the Good or Naughty list this year...or just ask the man himself at the Meet Santa experience.

W: castlepointshopping.com

THE LITTLE MATCH GIRL

December 16, tickets from £6

Follow a little girl throughout the day as she encounters the funny and zany characters of the vibrant city streets. The Little Match Girl offers a pre-Christmas treat at Dorchester Corn Exchange courtesy of Dorchester Arts and The Last Baguette. Meet talking turkeys, dancing rats, Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and their chattering Christmas tree. Enjoy visual story telling, live music and puppetry.

T: 01305 266926

W: dorchesterarts.org.uk

ANNIE

December 16 - 17, tickets £10/£6

With a cast and production team all of whom are 25 and under, this is Bridport Young Performers Scholarships' (BYPS) eighth Christmas show and will be performed at Bridport Arts Centre.

Set in 1930s New York during The Great Depression, brave young Annie is forced to live a life of misery at Miss Hannigan’s orphanage. Her luck soon changes when she’s chosen to spend a fairytale Christmas with famous billionaire, Oliver Warbucks. Meanwhile, spiteful Miss Hannigan has other ideas and hatches a plan to spoil Annie’s search for her true family.

All the profits will go to the BYPS fund, helping talented young performers pay for tuition in performing arts to help them reach their dream.

T: 01308 424204

W: bridport-arts.com

CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR

December 19-24, tickets from £16

Returning for its seventh year of family entertainment, The Glad Rag Production Company brings a brand new Christmas Spectacular to the Regent Centre stage. Bursting with festive delights, this highly acclaimed company will create a magical Christmas treat for the whole family to enjoy. Once again, audiences will be treated to dazzling costumes from West End costumier Sue Simmerling and sparkling production numbers brought together by a heart-warming festive story.

T: 01202 499199

W: regentcentre.co.uk

MISS HOPE SPRINGS

December 20, tickets £15

Miss Hope Springs' 'Christmas Agogo!'

British screen legend; Lionel Jeffries’ son - composer, lyricist, pianist, singer and comedian Ty Jeffries - brings his award-winning musical comedy cabaret to Sherborne. International cabaret star Miss Hope Springs comes to Sherborne's Digby Hall direct from London’s West End via Las Vegas to reprise her lost 1971 Granada TV special 'Christmas Agogo!' which is, to this day, considered an unaired classic. Live at the piano ‘recovering showgirl’ Miss Hope Springs rummages under her Christmas tree to unpack a glittering array of all original self-penned festive songs from her hugely catchy repertoire of toe tapping show tunes and haunting ballads. Tickets from Tourist Information, Digby Road, Sherborne.

W: misshopesprings.com/concerts

LAST NIGHT OF THE CHRISTMAS PROMS

December 22, tickets from £12.75

Kick off Christmas with a fun-packed concert for all the family from the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in the concert hall at Lighthouse, Poole. The evening features classics old and new, including Jingle Bells, White Christmas, Sleigh Ride, Walking in a Winter Wonderland, Let it Snow Let it Snow, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year and much, much more.

T: 01202 280000

W: lighthousepoole.co.uk

BEN WATERS BIG BAND NIGHT

December 29, tickets £20

Top boogie woogie piano player, singer and all-round entertainer Ben Waters is returning to Weymouth Pavilion with his band. Ben is recognised as one of the UK’s supreme boogie piano players and has worked with many stars including The Rolling Stones, Ray Davies, Chuck Berry and Jools Holland. He has recently won the award for best Boogie Woogie pianist in Europe and will be touring Australia again in the New Year, including the world famous Sydney Opera House.

T: 01305 783225

W: weymouthpavilion.com