League of Gentlemen: Windsor Hall, BIC Last week saw Matt Lucas and David Walliams bring their brilliant stage version of Little Britain to the BIC. On Saturday November 5 it's the turn of The League of Gentlemen to show just how well TV comedy can transfer to the live stage. They have a hard act to follow but with the vagaries of Royston Vasey at their fingertips they might just turn into another triumph. Telephone: 0870 111 3000

Cooking With Elvis: Lighthouse, Poole Hull Truck theatre Company return to Poole next week with this brilliant and darkly comic stage play about a paralysed Elvis impersonator, his frustrated drunken wife and their fat and gluttonous daughter. Opens on Tuesday November 8 and runs until Saturday November 12. Telephone 01202 685222.

Nelson: The Nuffield, Southampton Pam Gems' play casts Admiral Nelson as a post-modern anti-hero, prepared to do whatever he deemed necessary to fit the demands of his duty to the nation. The playwright says she finds him "pitiful, awesome and admirable." Nelson runs until Saturday November 5. Telephone: 023 8065 2333

A Man For All Seasons: The Mayflower, Southampton Martin Shaw stars in this new stage production of Robert Bolt's classic A Man For All Seasons. Adapted from the Oscar winning film, it tells the story of Sir Thomas More, one of the most charismatic figures in British history. Shaw stars as the 16th century mover, shaker and right hand man to Henry VIII who put his Royal friendship, and life, on the line when the King declared himself head of the church in a bid to divorce and remarry. The powerful conflict that follows makes for compelling theatre. Shaw leads a cast of 18. Opens at the Mayflower on Monday November 7 and runs until Saturday November 12. Telephone 023 8071 1811.

Translations: The Nuffield, Theatre, Southampton The National Theatre return to Southampton with their mobile touring production of Brian Friel's Translations. The play, which opens on Tuesday November 8, finds the British Army re-mapping rural Ireland in the 1830s and explores the disappearance of a community and the legacy it leaves. Runs until Saturday November 12. Telephone 023 8067 1771

The Reduced Shakespeare Company: Completely Hollywood: Salisbury City Hall The bad boys of abridgement are back playing Salisbury Saturday November 5 condensing Hollywood and indeed the entire history of Tinsel Town. Watch in amazement as they cut Casablanca, steer at speed through Star wars and race around Rocky giving the American movie capital the ultimate nip and tuck. Telephone 01722 434434.

Pam Ayers: They Should Have Asked My Husband: Salisbury City Hall Humourist, poet and national institution Pam Ayres arrives in Salisbury on Sunday November 6 as part of her 3oth anniversary tour. Her subject is as ever the oddities of every day life. As The Guardian once put it: "Pam Ayres.... writes as rhapsodically about the Wonderbra as Wordsworth did about daffodils." Telephone 01722 434434.

Annie: Mayflower Theatre, Southampton That perennial favourite from the Broadway musical stage - the rags to riches story of little orphan Annie - arrives in Southampton on Tuesday November 1. The same production that played the Pavilion in Bournemouth during the summer, it stars Ruth Madoc (best remembered as Chief Yellowcoat Gladys Pugh from Hi de Hi) and sixties pop star Mark 'Venus in Blue Jeans' Wynter. Runs until Saturday November 5.. Telephone 023 8071 1811.

Jo Brand: The Pavilion Theatre When former psychiatric nurse Jo Brand first made her mark on the alternative comedy circuit her act revolved around her pretending to be a sea-monster. Things have moved on a little since then and despite, or probably because of, The Sun newspapers efforts to sink her early career Ms Brand is now recognised as one of Britain's finest stand-ups. She plays the Pavilion on Friday November 4. Telephone 0870 111 3000.

The Circus of Horrors: Bournemouth Pavilion Part circus, part freak show this bizarre collection of voodoo acrobats, pickled people and crazed contortionists explore the dark underbelly of entertainment. One Japanese reviewer described this much-travelled show which plays the Pavilion on Tuesday November 8 as "better than sex" which is possibly the most alarming untruth I have heard for a while. Still at least they were enthusiastic. Telephone 0870 111 3000

Swan Lake - Moscow City Ballet : Lighthouse, Poole The world -renowned Moscow City Ballet make a welcome return to Poole with a new production of that timeless favourite Swan Lake. Featuring Tchaikovsky's sublime score, it opened Thursday November 3 and runs until tomorrow Saturday November 5. Telephone: 01202 685222

Laurence Clark: The Jim Davidson Guide to Equality: Salisbury Arts Centre Disabled comedian Laurence Clark takes a well-aimed on-stage snipe at controversial comic Jim Davidson who once refused to perform because there were people in wheelchairs in his audience. Clark says that he'll scrap the gig if Davidson turns up at the arts centre on Wednesday November 9. Me thinks the show will go ahead. Telephone 01722 321744.

Music

Simply Red: Bournemouth International Centre More than 20 years after they first arrived on the scene and with the smooth soul-pop that propelled them towards world-wide fame Mick Hucknall and the lads return for this long-awaited concert at the lavishly refurbished Bournemouth International Centre on Sunday November 7. Telephone 0870 111 3000

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra: Lighthouse, Poole Marin Alsop conducts the BSO at Lighthouse on Wednesday November 9 in a programme that includes music by Brahms and Liszt, Beethoven's Fifth Symphony and the world premiere of Heiligenstadt by McNeff. Guest soloist on Liszt's Piano Concerto No.1 is Jean-Yves Thibaudet. The same concert plays Bristol on Thursday November 10 and Basingstoke on Friday November 11. Telephone 01202 685222.

An Evening with Bobby Vee: Bournemouth Pavilion The man who Bob Dylan used to pretend to be returns to the performing arena after a three year sabbatical with this show which plays the Pavilion on Monday November 7 and pays tribute to Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper. Guests of the American pop legend include Chris Montez and Johnny Preston. Telephone 0870 111 3000.

Glenn Miller (and other Big Bands) Tribute Concert: Bournemouth Pavilion Wind back the clock to the era when swing was the thing. Chris Dean and the Syd Lawrence Orchestra present an evening at the Pavilion on Thursday November 10 that pays tribute to the music of legendary wartime American bandleader Miller and other big names from the history of Big Bands. Guest vocalists are Matthew Ford, Angie Mills, Eleanor Keenan and The Mellowtones. Telephone 0870 111 3000

Kate Royal, Talbot Heath: Soprano Kate Royal is special guest when the Bournemouth Chamber Music Society present an afternoon recital at Talbot Heath Saturday November 5. Kate who is herself a former pupil at the school is now an international opera star. Her accompanist is pianist Simon Lepper. Telephone 01202 423429.

London Mozart Players: Turner Sims Concert Hall, Southampton The celebrated London Mozart Players team up with award winning Romanian pianist Herbert Schuch at Turner Sims on Thursday November 10 to play Mozart's great Piano Concerto No. 9. Also in the programme will be music by Haydn and Schnittke. Telephone 023 8059 5151.

The Zephyr Wind Ensemble: Halstock Church and West Knighton Church London based classical group The Zephyr Wind Ensemble play music stretching over three centuries when they play Halstock Church on Wednesday November 9 and West Knighton Church on Thursday November 10. Telephone 01935 891568 or 01305 854205

David Miles Quartet: Dorchester Arts Centre Jazz guitarist David Miles and his quartet are joined by vocalist Linley Weir at Dorchester on Sunday November 5 for an interesting set of arrangements of the songs of Lennon and McCartney (and Harrison). Telephone 01305 266926.

Paul Lamb and the Kingsnakes: The Tivoli Theatre, Wimborne Top British blues band Paul Lamb and The Kingsnakes breeze into Wimborne Friday November 4 with another of their invariably vintage performances. Guest support artist is Gary Fletcher from The Blues Band. Telephone 01202 885566.

Catfish Keith: Tivoli Theatre, Wimborne America's acoustic blues roots is the subject and Catfish Keith is the man to lead you on an exploration of this fine musical heritage. He stomps, hollers, plays blinding bottleneck guitar, bends notes you never even knew existed and knows his subject inside out. The brilliant US guitarist will be making his third visit to the Tivoli on Thursday November 10. Telephone 01202 885566.

Rawsthorne Recitals: Lighthouse, Poole The Thursday lunchtime recitals marking the centenary of brilliant but often neglected British composer Alan Rawsthorne continue at Lighthouse on Thursday November 10 with pinaist Colin Stone playing a variety of Rawsthorne pieces alongside works by Beethoven and Rachmaninov. Telephone 01202 685222.

Ingrid Laubrook: Lighthouse, Poole An evening of Brazilian flavoured jazz and samba is on offer from saxophonist Ingrid Laubrook at Lighthouse on Thursday November 10. She is backed by Ife Tolentino on guitra, Barry Green on piano, Ben Davis on cello, Larry Bartley on bass and S Raphael on drums. Telephone 01202 685222.

The Great Pretender, The Longest Day, Get Amped, Geno Washington: Mr Kyps, Lower Parkstone Another heady mix of music is on offer at Kyps this week. Friday November 4 and Saturday November 5 there are sold out performance by Queen tribute band The Great Pretender, on Sunday November 6 there's The Longest Day, Get Amped and Fevertree are in action on Wednesday November 9 and Thursday November 10 sees a return visit from Geno Washington and the Ram Jam Band. Telephone 01202 748945.

Bog Rolling Stones, Aynsley Lister and Dirty DC: The Brook, Southampton A tongue in cheek tribute to the Stones is on offer at The Brook Friday November 4 with British blues guitarist Aynsley lister playing there Saturday November 5 and heavy rocking AC/DC copyists Dirty DC on Thursday November 10. Telephone: 023 8055 5366