A tight 5: December 8

Nina Conti is to have her own West End run. Following the success of two nights earlier this year, she will take up residency at the Criterion Theatre from February 25 until March 12 with her improvised comedy ventriloqism show, In Your Face. Tickets.

SHIRLEY Stelfox, who played Rose in the first series of Keeping Up Appearances has died at the age of 74, after being diagnosed with cancer. She also played the mother of Julie Walters and Victoria Wood in the 1994 TV movie Pat and Margaret, but is best-known as Edna Birch in Emmerdale.

IMPROV group Austentatious are to perform a special cross-dressing version of their show for charity. Performers Cariad Lloyd, Rachel Parris, Andrew Hunter Murray, Joseph Morpurgo, Amy Cooke-Hodgson, Graham Dickson and Charlotte Gittins will switch their bonnets and breeches as the ad lib a new Jane Austen-style drama, in aid of the Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund. The Crosstentatious show will be at the Leicester Square Theatre on January 9.

LONDON indie venue and producers The Invisible Dot have booked the Hammersmith Apollo for a gig to celebrate their seventh birthday on January 25. The line-up includes Adam Buxton, Harry Hill, Sara Pascoe, Tim Key, Josie Long and The Horne Section.

LEE NELSON is to host the preview show launching Dave's Leicester Comedy Festival. The gig, in the city's De Montfort Hall on January 8 will also feature Sofie Hagen, Tom Little, Nish Kumar, Jen Brister, Kai Humphries and George Rigden. The festival itself runs from February 3 to 21.

Published: 8 Dec 2015