A FESTIVE show will bring an abundance of Christmas sparkle to Christchurch this week.

The Regent Centre is once again hosting its popular Christmas Spectacular – a seasonal variety show billed as a ‘festive feast filled with comedy, dance and music’.

Performed by The Glad Rag Production Company, the production features dazzling dancers, stunning showgirls, sumptuous costumes, sensational singers, Christmas choirs, comedy elves – and even dancing polar bears!

It follows the success of two previous Christmas Spectacular productions that were a joint initiative between Glad Rag Productions and The Regent Centre.

Lavish costumes designed and created by New Forest costumier Sue Simmerling feature in the sparkling production numbers that have become a trademark of this talented company.

Being a family show Santa Claus himself has even agreed to take part too! We find him up at the North Pole preparing for Christmas with the assistance of his singers and dancers. Spud and Sprout, the elves, will be on hand to cause a little chaos, while Benji and Bruce, the polar bears, are bound to have to save the day again and ensure that everyone can experience a magical Christmas.

But before that can happen there is a festive killjoy on the loose.

Gregory Thriftpenny and his fiendish little elf, Pumpkin, have come to the North Pole to turn Santa’s workshop into a multi-national business and threaten to turn the magical Christmas we all know and love into a cold hearted, commercial business plan.

Can Benji and Bruce, the Polar Bears, save Christmas again, or will Gregory ruin Christmas for all of us? Spud and Sprout will be on hand to keep the audience on their toes with “Shout outs” and their usual funny antics.

There’s also a new hero at the North Pole this year, in the imposing form of Frosty the Snowman, so maybe he can put the freeze on Gregory’s dastardly plans!

With a fabulous musical blend of up-beat dance routines, popular ballads, Christmas favourites and West End showstoppers, all performed by theatre professionals and the pick of local entertainers, Christmas Spectacular 2014 is a wonderful winter warmer.

The music includes traditional Christmas songs such as: Deck The Halls, Winter Wonderland, Here comes Santa Claus and Christmas Eve With You from Glee. Traditional children’s favourites like Frosty The Snowman and Suzy Snowflake are mixed with songs from the new musical.

The show is written and directed by Helen Barrington of New Milton who has directed over forty musical shows, pantomimes, revues and youth productions.

Costumes are designed and made by Sue Simmerling and her team at Carry On Costumes in Mew Milton.

Many of Sue’s fantastic costumes have adorned smash West End musicals, top cruise ships and prime time TV shows.

Christmas Spectacular 2014 is at the Regent in Christchurch from Saturday December 20 – Wednesday 24, 2.30pm and 7.30pm.

Tel: 01202 499199 or visit regentcentre.co.uk.