AS THE DAYS GET SHORTER, THE NIGHTS GET MORE ENTERTAINING!

Autumn: season of mists and mellow fruitfulness – and a fantastic line-up of amazing shows at Milton Keynes Theatre!

When they are rehearsing a show, The Bunbury Players are very much in earnest. In this case, it’s The Importance of Being Earnest that they are presenting.

A starry cast of some of our best known actors, including Nigel Havers, Martin Jarvis and Sian Phillips, kick off the autumn season at MKT with an original take on Oscar Wilde’s classic comedy.

They may be Dirty Rotten Scoundrels but the two swindlers who try and fleece the well-heeled tourists on the French Riviera may well find that making a living as con-men is tougher than they thought.

Snuggling into an ermine trimmed cape in October and direct from a sold-out run in London that earned five star reviews, King Charles III suggests one possible scenario for the future with Robert Powell as the newly-crowned monarch on the British throne.

Theatre at its best comes in many forms. While it’s true that English National Ballet is one of the great dance companies performing today, and Glyndebourne is a world famous festival opera company, both organisations have a reputation for being far more than the sum of their parts.

ENB’s Romeo and Juliet, inventive and passionately choreographed by Rudolf Nureyev, and Lest We Forget, a poignant reflection on World War I, are both unforgettable theatrical experiences. Milton Keynes Theatre is one of only three venues in the UK lucky enough to host Glyndebourne Tour 2015.

And this year, the company is proud to present the next generation of opera stars in three diverse works by Mozart, Donizetti and Handel.

Tommy Steele has been a household name for more than fifty years. As a song and dance man, no-one else comes anywhere near his talent and the affection in which he’s held. Glenn Miller was the great star of the big band sound. Combine the two and immerse them in the true story of Miller’s mysterious disappearance in 1944 and you’ve got The Glenn Miller Story, a new show to get you In The Mood, coming to Milton Keynes at the end of October.

Book your tickets now for this one. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, coming to Milton Keynes Theatre in November, picked  up seven Olivier awards in London and five Tonys on Broadway – rightly so. This National Theatre production, based on the award-winning novel by Mark Haddon, is one of those shows that make live theatre such a very special experience.

No-one can survive alone. Incarcerated at the notorious Shawshank facility accused of a double murder, former accountant Andy Dufresne finds that out to his cost. The Shawshank Redemption is regularly voted the nation’s number one movie of all time. Now you can see the classic story on stage in a new production. Watch this space for news of the star casting!

Almost single-handedly – or should that be footedly - Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace have elevated ballroom dancing to a new art form. They are back in November with a thrilling new live performance. But The Last Tango is what it says on the tin; it’s their final ever theatre tour…

Christmas at Milton Keynes Theatre just wouldn’t be Christmas without the best panto in the region. Following on from last year’s record-breaking show, Peter Pan, the star cast will be flying the magic carpet off to the Far East in Aladdin, with all your favorite panto characters on board. Get into the festive spirit right here at Milton Keynes Theatre!

With an amazing line-up of one night shows including comedy from Dara O Briain, Milton Jones and Paddy McGuiness, live music from The Hollies, Squeeze and UB40, anecdotes and reflections from that multi-talented actor, globe-trotter and former Python nutter, Michael Palin and the very best from tribute bands performing music by Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, Fleetwood Mac, Motown and rock ‘n’ roll the autumn season at Milton Keynes Theatre is more than enough to keep the winter chill at bay!

A little bit further ahead, you can look forward to spring 2016 and a sparkling season of shows that includes musicals, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Chicago, Hairspray, Annie and the smash West End hit The Bodyguard.

Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty, David Walliams’ Gangsta Granny, the National Theatre’s, An Inspector Calls and three operas from Welsh National Opera should give you plenty to choose from – but if not, there is more….

To book just visit Milton Keynes Theatre Box Office, call 0844 871 7652 (bkg fee) or go to www.atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes  (bkg fee)