What’s on at the theatre this January
Posted 15th January 2025
See in the new year with Cuba, crooners and comedy
Forget the post-Crimbo lull, January in theatre-land is poised to deliver plenty, as Sammy Jones discovered…
If you are keen to hold on to the festive feels that little bit longer, a reminder that Peter Pan continues at Milton Keynes Theatre (until Jan 5) with Craig Revel Horwood leading the cast of class.
When the curtain falls on the seasonal show, there are still reasons to be cheerful, starting with the return of Milton Jones, bringing his new show Ha! Milton to town.
The king of the one-liner and recipient of not one, but two Sony Awards comes to the new city with his trademark quirky style and lightning-fast wit, on January 10.
We have it on good authority that topics will include giraffes, and tomatoes. Miss out this time, and you’ll have to erm, ketchup later.
Jimmy Carr and his fast-paced, edgy one-liners follows (Jan 15). Tickets for this show, Laughs Funny, are in short supply, as they always are.
Carlos Acosta’s Cuban take on the festive favourite will see 20 dancers from his Acosta Danza company delivering Nutcracker in Havana (Jan 17 & 18).
Join Clara in her humble home, getting ready to celebrate Christmas with her family. The beer cans are on the tree and Cuba is suitably hot. When Clara is given a Nutcracker doll she embarks on the journey of a lifetime, to defeat the Rat King and enter the world of the Sugar Plum Fairy accompanied by her Nutcracker Prince.
Carlos is a superstar of the classical ballet world and you’ll get a show befitting of his immense talent.
The stage smash Dear Evan Hansen (Jan 28-Feb 1) is being looked forward to by many, and with good reason – it’s the first time the Broadway and West End phenomenon has taken to the road in the UK. Gongs? It’s won more than a few, including a Tony® Award for Best Musical, Olivier Award for Best New Musical and Grammy® Award for Best Musical Theater Score.
‘Meet Evan: an anxious high school kid who wants nothing more than to fit in. The thing is, on his way to fitting in, he didn’t tell the whole truth. And now must give up on a life he never dreamt he’d have. As events spiral and the truth comes out, Evan faces a reckoning with himself and everyone around him.’
There’s comedy at The Stables with Rob Newman (Jan 17), the man who invented the phrase No Planet B, bringing a new show to the stage, and this one is about future cities, lost beavers, philistine Bingo callers, Dorothy Parker’s Multiverse Diaries and A Man Called Clive.
Taskmaster winner Sophie Duker will deal with her (sugar) daddy issues in But Daddy I Love Her, which sees her live and loose with all of her trademark naughtiness, ‘this time arguing that we should all choose silliness over common sense and hot wet fantasies over cold, bleak reality.’
Crooners (Jan 23) will pay homage to some of the greatest ever crooners, but with a splendiferous injection of Britishness.
One-liners, laugh out loud silliness and ace tracks like Fly Me To The Moon and Mack the Knife delivered with the aid of The Mini Big Band. This might just be the surprise winner of the month.
The Wavendon haunt also has the perfect night for lovers of old relics – Antiques and A Little Bit of Nonsense (Jan 26) is the chance to be charmed by three of the country’s most popular personalities from the world of antiques.
Want to know how Philip Serrell began his auctioneering career, and how Charlie Ross flew across the world to sell old bangers? This is the show for you, then. Christina Trevanion will keep things in check.
Experienced amateur theatre group Drama Llamas have a penchant for staging new shows by outstanding playwrights, and they will be in situ at York House in Stony Stratford with Splendour (Jan 31 – Feb 2), from the pen of Abi Morgan, whose extensive CV includes brilliant legal drama, The Split.
In a splendid palace, in an unnamed country, four women await the long-overdue arrival of the dictator. The dictator’s wife, her best friend, a foreign journalist and an interpreter pass the time watching the light fade, drinking Chilli Vodka, discussing painting and tearing each other apart.
‘Splendour recounts its story in fragmented snapshots which finally resolve into a shocking truth. The play is full of threat and humour and will be topical as long as oppressive regimes thrive,’ say those putting it to the stage.
Book tickets…
MK Theatre: atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes
The Stables: stables.org
York House: ticketsource.co.uk