Captain Noah and his Floating Zoo at All Saints Church

10 December 2011 All Saints Church, All Saints Road, Cheltenham

Musica Vera is joining forces with the Choir of Charlton Kings Junior School in a performance of "Captain Noah and his Floating Zoo", as well as Christmas Carols for both choirs and audience. The concert starts at 7.00 pm and tickets cost £9.00 (free admission to children under 16). Tickets available from Cheltenham Tourist Information Centre, 77 Promenade, Cheltenham. Proceeds will go to The Cheltenham Festival of Performing Arts. For further info. Tel 01242 517258.

Day of Reflection on Dean Francis Close

28 November 2011 Glenfall House, Mill Lane, Charlton Kings, Cheltenham GL54 4EP

Glenfall House is the retreat and conference centre for the Diocese of Gloucester. On the 28th November, Bishop John Went, the bishop of Tewkesbury, will lead a day focussing on Dean Francis Close, who contributed so much to the life of Cheltenham and the wider church as well as to education. The day costs £18.75 and includes a three course lunch. Advance bookings only 01242 583654 or email enquiries@glenfallhouse.org www.glenfallhouse.org

Cheltenham Chamber Orchestra Concert

19 November 2011
St. Andrew's Church Montpellier

The well-known local chamber orchestra presents an evening of music by Mendelssohn. George Ewart leads the orchestra andwill also play the violin concerto. The concert opens with the Overture "Fingal's Cave" and concludes with the Symphony No.3 "The Scottish". The conductor is John Longstaff. Tickets are available from the Tourist Information Centre priced at £15 with concessions and discounts if bought in advance.

OFF THE CUFF at The Parabola Arts Centre

Wednesday 16th November 2011 7:15pm
The OFFSTAGE Theatre Group and Cheltenham Comedy Festival Present... 'OFF THE CUFF' It's Childish Humour For Adults The Parabola Arts Centre, Cheltenham Wednesday 16th November 2011 7:15pm (Doors open at 7:00pm) Tickets: £8.50

'OFF THE CUFF' is a Cheltenham-based comedy improvisation troupe, with a heavy musical element, that has been successfully running in Cheltenham since 2007 (it's much like a live version of the TV show 'Whose Line Is It Anyway?'), where it regularly attracts sell-out audiences. They were the first act booked for the inaugural Stratford-Upon-Avon Fringe Festival in 2010 (and booked again for 2011), sold out at the Birmingham Comedy Festival 2010, and headlined the Cabaret Stage at the Bristol Festival for three years running; as well as touring festivals and theatres up and down the country. OFF THE CUFF have been granted a prime venue amongst a plethora of famous comedians (see www.cheltenhamcomedy.com for the full line-up), so let's show those Edinburgh nominees and highly-paid stars that Cheltenham performers can tickle the funny bones too. Support your local act!

Audiences will have their funny bones shaken and their chuckle muscles sprained by the comic performance of a troupe of actor-comedians who make it all up as they go along. There is no script, there are no rehearsals and there is nowhere to hide. The members of the audience provide the suggestions and the scenarios, which means the show is never the same twice. The lively cast are all actors/improvisers and the show is a spin-off from the award-winning travelling theatre group, OFFSTAGE, who have been commissioned for and performed on BBC Radio, as well as creating shows for BBC Worldwide and in Los Angeles, USA.

Speaking on behalf of the Cheltenham Comedy Festival, co-director Mark Makin said: 'We believe that it's important to showcase the best of local talent along with the best of UK comedy at the festival. Off The Cuff have been building up a strong following in the area for their quick fire improvised wit, so come along to the Parabola Arts Centre on the 16th November to catch these rising stars' Speaking for The OFFSTAGE Theatre Group, Barnaby Eaton-Jones said: "We're delighted to be bringing our popular brand of comedy improv to the stage of the Parabola Arts Centre, as part of the very first Cheltenham Comedy Festival.

If you like stand-up comedy, you'll LOVE comedy improv. You get more comedians for the price of your ticket, more gags, and no structured set that won't budge for laughs if the audience don't like it. In fact, the audience are the ones who mould the show, with their imput, so we've never had anyone go home unhappy!"

For tickets to see this action-packed comedy show, full of music, mayhem and mirth, please call the Cheltenham Town Hall box office on 0844 576 2210, email them on boxoffice@cheltenham.gov.uk or visit the specific page: www.cheltenhamtownhall.org.uk.