DON’T miss the comedy classic The Goon Show at The Haymarket on Friday 5 and Saturday, 6 October.

Presented by Apollo Theatre Company in association with Spike Milligan Productions Ltd, this is the first major theatrical production of the show in its illustrious history.

In 1951, the landscape of British comedy changed dramatically when The Goon Show burst onto the airwaves of the BBC Home Service.

Spike Milligan, Peter Sellers and Harry Secombe brought a brand of chaotic humour unlike anything that had been heard before.

With its bizarre characters, fantastical plots and hilarious running jokes, The Goon Show captured the imagination of the British public and made household names of its three main stars.

The Goon Show features a full cast and live music, celebrating Goon Show creator Spike Milligan’s centenary year.

Producer, Norma Farnes, who was Spike’s assistant and manager for 36 years, says of the production: “There is no better time than the centenary of Spike’s birth to celebrate his most enduring creation. Spike’s sense of the absurd created a whole new form of comedy which fuelled everyone’s imagination and still does today.”

The internationally acclaimed French-Canadian band The Musical Box, famed for their faithful re-enactments of Genesis concerts, comes to The Anvil on Friday, 5 October. The new show is an extravaganza of favourites and rarities from 1970 to 1979.

As the only band ever licensed and supported by Genesis and Peter Gabriel, The Musical Box’s latest show features top tracks from the albums Trespass, Nursery Cryme, Foxtrot, Selling England by the Pound, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, A Trick of the Tail, and Wind and Wuthering.

Plus there may be a few surprises, as well as live visual stunts, theatrical tricks and a vast array of vintage musical instruments.

On Thursday, 11 October, Music Theatre Wales and National Dance Company Wales present the UK premiere of Passion by Pascal Dusapin at The Anvil.

In the searingly beautiful and sensuous performance, Dusapin explores the pain and passion of two lovers who are forced apart to separate worlds.

The story takes its cue from the myth of Orpheus in the underworld.

Mixed with the haunting sounds of harpsichord and Arabic oud, Dusapin's gleaming, shifting score conveys a timeless world within which the dancers and singers can play out their story of loss and desire.

There is a pre-performance talk in The Forge before the performance which is free to ticket holders. Seats must be booked in advance by calling the box office.

A big hit at festivals in Aix-en-Provence and Sydney, this production, created in association with the London Sinfonietta and Exaudi, has its first performance at The Anvil before a national tour.

For more information or for tickets, visit anvilarts.org.uk or call the Anvil Arts box office on 01256 844244.