Ten of the Best - Your guide to what to see around Northants in the coming days

1 2:22 A Ghost Story, Royal & Derngate, Northampton, until Saturday January 17

Jenny believes her new home is haunted, but her husband Sam isn’t having any of it. They argue with their first dinner guests, old friend Lauren and new partner Ben. Can the dead really walk again? Belief and scepticism clash, but something feels strange and frightening, and that something is getting closer, so they’re going to stay up – until 2.22 – and then they’ll know.

Winner of Best New Play at the WhatsOnStage Awards, the supernatural thriller stars James Bye (Eastenders), Natalie Casey (2 Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps), Gary Lucy (Hollyoaks) and Shvorne Marks (Three Little Birds). Written by Danny Robins, creator of the hit BBC podcasts Uncanny & The Battersea Poltergeist, 2:22 A Ghost Story comes fresh from record-breaking seasons at five West End theatres with a host of acclaimed star performances. Visit royalandderngate.co.uk or call 01604 624811 to book.

2 The Dazzling Diamonds: Comedy Drag Show, Royal & Derngate, Northampton, Friday January 16

Featuring a cast of three internationally acclaimed performers, the show is amix of outrageous comedy, live vocals and dance routines. Expect hits from Tina Turner, Adele, Lady Gaga, Elton John, and many more – though not quite as they have been seen before. Visit royalandderngate.co.uk or call 01604 624811 to book.

3 Opera Boys: A Night At The Musicals, Royal & Derngate, Northampton, Saturday January 17

Enjoy an evening of powerhouse vocals, four-part harmony, musical medleys and solo performances – all delivered with charm, style and humour. It features numbers from smash hit modern musicals like Jersey Boys, Mamma Mia, Wicked and Frozen, classics from Cole Porter, George Gershwin and Rodgers & Hammerstein, and masterpieces like Les Misérables, Phantom Of The Opera and West Side Story. Visit royalandderngate.co.uk or call 01604 624811 to book.

4 Luther Live and Velvet Voices, The Deco, Northampton, Saturday January 17

Step into a world of soul, romance and unforgettable grooves with Luther Live & Velvet Voices, celebrating the golden era of R’n’B. The show brings the smooth sounds of Luther Vandross, Alexander O’Neal and many others to life, with powerhouse vocals, a top live band and emotion aplenty. The show also pays tribute to a roll call of R’n’B royalty, including Marvin Gaye, Bobby Brown, and George Benson – delivering hit after hit from the ‘80s and ‘90s. Expect to hear Never Too Much, Shine, Give Me the Reason, Dance with My Father, Criticize, Saturday Love, If You Were Here Tonight, Sexual Healing, Give Me the Night and many many more. Visit theoldsavoy.co.uk or call 01604 491005 to book.

5 Twist & Shout, Castle Theatre, Wellingborough, Friday January 16

An all-star cast from the West End deliver a musical powerhouse of a show that starts with the explosion of British pop in 1962 through to the era of Flower Power and Free Love of the late ‘60s. Music lovers are invited to return to a time when skirts got shorter and hair got longer as the cast revives the hits of The Beatles, Herman’s Hermits, Gerry and the Pacemakers, The Rolling Stones, Cilla Black, Manfred Mann, Dusty Springfield, Lulu, Sandy Shaw and many more. The non-stop, 40-song music feast includes She Loves You, Glad All Over, You’re My World, Jumpin’ Jack Flash, Something Tells Me I’m Into Something Good, Shout, Ferry Cross The Mersey and many more. Visit castletheatre.co.uk or call 01933 270 007 to book.

6 Shen Yun, Royal & Derngate, Northampton, Tuesday January 20 and Wednesday January 21

Shen Yun takes audiences on an extraordinary journey through China’s 5,000 years of divinely inspired culture. Exquisite beauty, profound wisdom, timeless legends and ethnic traditions all spring to life through classical Chinese dance, enchanting live orchestral music, authentic costumes and interactive backdrops. Revisit a time when scholars and artists sought harmony with the Tao, or the “Way” of the universe, and when divine beings walked upon the earth to inspire humanity. Visit royalandderngate.co.uk or call 01604 624811 to book.

7 Simon & Garfunkel: Through The Years, Royal & Derngate, Northampton, Sunday January 25

The duo Bookends, comprising of Dan Haynes and Pete Richards, have toured the globe extensively with their concerts celebrating Simon & Garfunkel. Performing the songs against a backdrop of evocative imagery, their delicate recreation of the unmistakable sound of the American folk-rock duo includes hits such as The Sound of Silence, Mrs Robinson, The Boxer and Bookends’ own beautiful rendition of the unforgettable Bridge Over Troubled Water. Visit royalandderngate.co.uk or call 01604 624811 to book.

8 Showaddywaddy, Lighthouse Theatre, Kettering, Saturday January 17

Formed in the 1970s in Leicester, the rock’n’roll revivalists have sold more than 20 million records, with hits including Under The Moon of Love, Three Steps to Heaven, Hey Rock & Roll, When, Blue Moon and Pretty Little Angel Eyes. Visit lighthousetheatre.co.uk or call 01536 414141 to book.

9 Screaming Blue Murder Comedy Club, The Core at Corby Cube, Friday January 23

The popular stand-up night returns, with performances from Michael Fabbri, Ingrid Dahle and Tad Mahlunge. The compère is Brendan Dempsey. Visit thecorecorby.com or call 01536 470470 to book.

10 Dear England, Milton Keynes Theatre, Tuesday January 20 to Saturday January 24

The acclaimed play tells the story of Gareth Southgate’s tenure as manager of the England men’s football team. He takes over as the country that gave the world football had delivered a painful pattern of loss, with the worst record for penalties in the world. Southgate knows he needs to open his mind and face up to the years of hurt to take team and country back to the promised land. David Sturzaker (Doctors, BBC) plays Southgate in this examination of the nation and the game. He is joined by stage and screen actress Samantha Womack (EastEnders, BBC; The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe) as team psychologist Pippa Grange. The Telegraph called it “the decade’s biggest theatrical triumph”. Visit atgtickets.com/MiltonKeynes to book.