Entertainment

The Abbey Theatre's Christmas production, A Christmas Carol, opened on Saturday to capacity audiences. Many performances are already sold out, with availability largely limited to the end of the run. Charles Dickens’ tale was first told in 1843 has been adapted many times for the stage and screen. This colourful version is designed for all the family, featuring music, comedy and a young cast that shows great versatility, with many of them playing several roles.

Last year, an ambitious new opera came to St Albans, premiering in the Abbey, the opera told the little known story of Alban himself, the first English martyr. After a sell out run, Alban the Opera is travelling to London for four nights only in October this year before heading to the US in 2011.

I love fireworks, simple as that. I can't get enough of them and the annual display at Verulamium Park is always excellent. Luck favoured the brave and the evening was still and crisp. The rain held off till later in the evening allowing for one of my favourite displays for some years.

The word Verulam stems from the old word Verulamium (St Albans). You may have noticed this word associated with companies or entertainment all over this city. If not, read on and see who you can support.

As we are a community website, we encourage you to think local and choose local. If you are considering a party for your precious small people, here are a few ideas to start with!

In his new show 50 Things About Us, Mark Thomas combines his trademark mix of storytelling, stand-up, mischief and really, really well researched material to examine how we have come to inhabit this divided wasteland that some of us call the United Kingdom. Mark picks through the myths, facts and figures of our national identities to ask how we have so much feeling for such a hollow land. Who do we think we are? It is a show about money, history, songs, gongs, wigs, unicorns, guns, bungs, sods of soil and rich people* in the vein of The Manifesto-meets-sweary history channel.

The Christmas Pantomime and Show Season in St Albans is about to start and the first snow has arrived this morning! How very timely! There are wonderful events lined up in the city this year so if you haven't already booked a ticket, read the list below and see what might appeal to your family.

Featuring three sets and one MC per show, you're all set for an evening of entertainment! The November line up is DYLAN MORAN: Black Books, Shaun of the Dead, Run Fatboy Run and multiple stand up specials.

If there is any group that St Albans can be proud of, it's the St Albans Symphonic Orchestra. Last weekend, they performed four great orchestral pieces, with Bjorn Bantock as their new principal conductor. The church was filled...

Yes the circus is in town! My kids may be teenagers, but I knew they would still enjoy a trip away from their PlayStations and laptops – and so it proved! We went on the first night and although the crowd was a little sparse, the performers did not let it affect their enthusiasm and energy. The days of animals at circuses are long gone, so the show had to rely on human performance, in particular clowns, acrobats and trapeze artists, and they did not disappoint.