• SIZZLING with red-hot gospel, swing, blues and jazz music, Ringwood Musical & Dramatic Society stage Hot Mikado next week.

Based on the classic Gilbert & Sullivan operetta The Mikado, you may find the story and tunes familiar – but they’ve been brought right up to date in a funky, contemporary style, and the story of mismatched love is definitely played for laughs in the fictional Japanese city of Titipu.

How about a rock-god Wan’dring Minstrel, Three Little Maids in the style of The Andrews Sisters, undesirables eliminated from a ‘Little List’ with a revolver, a ‘Tit Willow’ to attract the scariest femme fatale, or the coolest cat of a Mikado you’ve ever seen?

It runs at the Ringwood School Theatre from Tuesday to Saturday.

Visit rmds.org.uk.

  • HER name was Lola, she was a show girl – the immortal words of Barry Manilow launch a classic musical packed with laughter, tears and romance.

Southampton Musical Society take you on a whirlwind adventure as struggling songwriter and entertainer Tony battles to rescue the girl of his dreams – wannabe starlet Lola – from the clutches of the dastardly Rico in Copacabana.

Follow our hero through the glitzy nightclubs of New York City and Havana, Cuba to the ultimate showdown with his nemesis.

Classic songs jostle with crazy characters to bring you a riot of sequins, showgirls and more than a touch of 1940s glamour.

Copacabana is at Theatre Royal Winchester from Wednesday to Saturday.

Tickets: 01962 840440 or visit theatreroyalwinchester.co.uk.

  • IT is the final match of the season and the winners take the league title.

The problems start when the keenlyfought match is a draw between the rival bowling clubs and must be replayed a week later.

Abbeywood suspect that WestWorth may attempt to sabotage the green so set up an all night vigil to keep watch, having an occasional nip from an illicit vodka bottle to keep the cold away.

The arrival of a suspicious ‘alcohol intolerant’ police officer causes disruption so they slip her a coffee laced with powerful Polish vodka, before too long they have a drunken member of the Constabulary on their hands, who they quickly hide in the mower shed.

When they are joined by a suspicious senior police officer investigating the disappearance of the first one, their troubles really begin.

The reality of the dilemma of having two hidden police officers and a police car to hide away until after the match dawns on the bungling kidnappers and things go from bad to worse with hilarious results!

West Moors present Ian Hornby’s Jack Up until tomorrow night at West Moors Memorial Hall.

Tickets are available on the door.