IF THE family-friendly slapstick antics that make up the majority of festive entertainment aren't your thing, the new season at The Mayflower promises to be well worth the wait.

The fun starts with a saucy treat in the shape of The New Rocky Horror Show (January 27-February 1), the touring version of the classic rock musical.

Christine Hamilton, the MP's wife-turned-media star, makes her stage debut playing the Narrator in the bizarre show, which features some of the most grotesque characters in musical theatre - and some great tunes, including Sweet Transvestite, Damn It Janet and the pelvic-thrusting Time Warp.

Despite its pantomimish overtones, this is one show that's strictly for the grown-ups - especially those looking for a good excuse to slip into stockings and suspenders for the evening (as many of the audience, both men and women, do).

Award-winning comedy Art is up next (February 10-15), starring much-loved British actors Nigel Havers and Roger Lloyd-Pack. A theatrical sensation when it first opened on the London stage in 1996, scooping both the London Evening Standard and Olivier Awards for Best Comedy, Yasmina Reza's play tells the funny and often moving story of the effect on three friends when one of them buys a piece of modern art.

Havers, best known for the film Chariots of Fire and TV series including The Charmer and Don't Wait Up, and Pack, immortalised on TV as Trigger in Only Fools and Horses, will be joined by Leigh Lawson, whose film highlights include an appearance in Roman Polanski's Tess.

Sheila Ferguson, former lead singer of The Three Degrees, leads the cast of the feelgood musical Oh! What a Night (February 17-22), which promises to fill the Mayflower with the sounds of the Seventies.

The escapist show combines comedy, romance, choreography and some of the biggest disco hits of the late Seventies, including Car Wash, Love Train, Lady Marmalade and I Will Survive.

Lowering the temperature somewhat will be The Russian Ice Stars (February 25-March 1), combining ballet and ice-skating in their own inimitable fashion. The talented company will be serving up The Nutcracker and a show of highlights from their last ten years.

Spring ushers in a UK touring version of the hit Michael Frayn comedy Noises Off (March 3-8), starring former Dr Who Sylvester McCoy and Paul Bradley (better known as Nigel from EastEnders). The traditional British farce takes place behind the scenes at a theatre - so if you ever wanted to know exactly what goes on in a green room, don't forget to catch this show.

It's then back to the Seventies with a return visit from the smash hit musical Saturday Night Fever (March 24-29). Inspired by the film starring John Travolta, the show charts the fortunes of a streetwise Brooklyn kid desperate to make it big as a disco dancer. The musical is packed with classic Bee Gees numbers, including Stayin' Alive, Night Fever and How Deep Is Your Love.

Dance fans will be delighted to know that Spirit of the Dance (March 31-April 5) is making a return visit to The Mayflower. The blockbusting show weaves together several different dance styles including flamenco, tap, Irish and salsa, in spectacular displays of fleet-footed finesse.

Musical classic Fiddler on the Roof (April 15-19) will warm the coldest of hearts. Paul Nicholas stars as Tevye, a dairyman desperately trying to preserve the traditional Jewish way of life in his small village in Czarist Russia. But when his daughters decide to marry out of love rather than duty, Tevye must choose between their happiness and his beloved traditions.

The show features a rousing score, colourful characters and some wonderfully evocative sets. AW

For tickets and information about these and other shows in the New Year, call the Mayflower box office on 023 8071 1811.