Am dram with Alison Norton

I personally felt the festive feel in the air when I was carol singing with my home company, South Staffs MTC earlier this week.

There is nothing like a chorus of Santa Claus is Coming to Town to cheer you up.

The Viva Musica choir, who are based at Ham Dingle Primary School in Stourbridge, will be performing their annual Christmas concert on Saturday at St James' Church, Wollaston, with special guests, the choir of the Church of Ascension CE Primary School.

The concert will include a mix of traditional Christmas music and is in aid of Mary Stevens Hospice.

For tickets, priced at £9, call 0121 550 5581 or 01562 883480. There are mince pies and a drink after the performance too.

The Viva Musical choir is holding an open day on January 17 for anyone who is interested in joining. For more details, email lorraineraynewman@gmail.com

Acapella music at Christmas time is guaranteed to awaken the senses and Acoustic Voices, a small mixed choir from Wombourne and the surrounding area who specialise in this genre, will present A Celebration of Christmas on Monday at the United Reformed Church in Mill Lane, just off High Street in the village, starting at 7.30pm.

Although the concert lasts only around an hour, you will be treated to a selection of carols and Christmas songs to suit all tastes. Tickets, which include light refreshments, are just £5 each with the proceeds going to charity. Call the group's musical director, Lynda Rhodes on 01902 892301.

For something completely different, the Birmingham School of Acting is presenting a production entitled Punk Rock in The Studio at the Crescent Theatre from December 14 to 17. A group of teenagers meet in the sixth form library, discussing music and debating which university to apply for.

As they chat, tease and provoke each other, aggression flares and an undercurrent of panic and hostility at the world is slowly revealed. Punk Rock is described as "a slow building story of violence in school, told with compelling depth and tension."

A complete contrast to the festive concerts and maybe a welcome change for drama lovers. It is also worth mentioning that Punk Rock is aimed at 14 years and over as there is partial nudity and strong language included in the play.

Catch

For tickets, priced at £8 each and £3 for students visit www.crescent-theatre.co.uk or call 0121 643 5858.

Also at The Crescent Theatre on Monday and Tuesday, you can catch A Christmas Wassail, a festive feast of music, comedy and the spoken word to celebrate the yuletide and warm your spirits with the magic of Christmas. It promises to be a performance with so much Christmas spirit, it will last you all year long.

For tickets, visit www.crescent-theatre.co.uk or call 0121 643 5858.

Tettenhall Operatic Company's Christmas concert is at the Towers Theatre within Tettenhall College on December 17 at 7.30pm and 2.30pm on December 18.

The concert programme will include a variety of festive music – solos and ensemble pieces, readings and instrumentals items – together with a few Christmas carols for audience participation as well.

The highlight of both concerts promises to be two piano duos by John Fowell, the group's musical director, together with Peter Smith, who will be travelling all the way from his new home in Cornwall to take part. Solo singers at the concert will include Sheila Smith, Jayne Butler, Barbara Smith and Mike and Sue Rawlings. For tickets priced at £12.50 each, call Marilyn Goodwin on 01902 751729 or 07976 510089.

On Wednesday at the Arena Theatre in Wolverhampton three theatre groups – WOW, No-Nonsense and The Discoverers – are coming together to present A Christmas Showcase, with performances at 1.30pm and 7.30pm on the day. All three groups are made up of extremely talented performers all of whom have learning difficulties or disabilities, who have found an outlet through the world of theatre and performance.

For tickets call the Arena Theatre box office on 01902 321321 or visit www.wlv.ac.uk/arena-theatre

Over the Shropshire area, Lionheart Productions, a fringe group based in Telford, are teaming up with the charity Comic Relief to produce the hilarious new show Game of Thrones: A Panto of Ice and Fire.

Cast members are still welcome to join, particularly men, with key roles such as Ned Stark and King Robert Baratheon still up for grabs. Ladies are welcome too. Rehearsals are on Friday evenings at the Elephant & Castle on Dawley High Street.

Performances will take place at the Telford Priory School's new theatre from the March 9 to 11, 2017. The performances will be filmed and released to view on YouTube in time for Red Nose Day. To take partemail Rich at lionhearttelford@gmail.com

Finally, to end the week, we have to mention a pantomime of course! From December 8 to 19 you can tread the road to old Peking in the company of the resident performance group at the Forest Arts Centre in Walsall as they present Aladdin. Due to popular demand there will be an extra performance on December 19 at 2.30pm, so visit www.forestartscentre.co.uk

Well that's all for this week. Please keep those emails with all your news and good quality photos included toa.norton@expressandstar.co.u, call me on 01902 319662 or follow me on Twitter @AlisonNorton

Break a leg!