The panto season is upon us with performances happening all over Cumbria.

YUP, the panto season is hotting up and as they say at The Dukes, Lancaster, it’s time to get hooked on Peter Pan!’ Audiences will be transported to Neverland this Christmas in a magical story packed full of fairy dust, flight and catchy songs, performed in The Round. This classic show, adapted from J.M. Barrie’s famous tale is chock full of swashbuckling pirates, the mischievous Lost Boys and mayhem, fun and live music. It’s Christmas Eve and Wendy Darling thinks she too old for stories, but that’s about to change. Peter Pan and Tink take her on an adventure to a wondrous island where they come face-to-face with Captain Hook and the hapless bosun, Smee. On stage until January 5.

Tickets £14.

GRASMERE Players' festive offering is a new adaptation of Treasure Island. Written and directed by Anne Miller, the show sticks fairly well to Robert Louis Stevenson's famous tale about buried treasure, murder and mayhem, especially among the unruly pirates. The cast range in age from eight to more than 80 and there'll be sword-buckling fun, sea shanties and a bunch of cannibals who turn out to have a shocking provenance! This fun and adventurous panto runs from tonight (Thursday) until Saturday (7.30pm) at Grasmere Hall. Tickets 015394-35627.

Tickets: Adults £8; children £3.

THE real story of A Christmas Carol as revealed in Scrooge Diaries, written and performed by Peter Macqueen.

"Marley was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that."

"Oh no he wasn’t! Bah! Dead? Humbug, Mr Dickens! Dead? You know nothing Mr.Dickens! You are a fraud sir – an embezzler of the truth. A fake news-smith. A charlatan…….Charlatan Dickens! Bah!”

In this revelatory exclusive, Ebeneezer Scrooge opens his diary to expose the awful truth about Tiny Tim, the Fezziwigs, Jacob Marley and that disgustingly jolly, gluttonous, consumer-driven Ghost of Christmas Present, as he reveals the truth behind the famous story.

This fantastic production takes place from Monday (December 12) to December 15 (7.30pm), at Theatre by the Lake, Keswick.

Box office 017687-74411.

Tickets: £15; (Under 16 & students) £12.

FOOTLIGHT’S traditional family panto adventure is Robin Hood and the Babes in the Wood. This panto probably features the most famous outlaw ever who lives in Nottingham Forest. Of course, his main job is to rob from the rich to give to the poor while outwitting the evil Sheriff of Nottingham, but also to win the hand of the beautiful Maid Marion. There are loads of songs, dances and jokes galore, with stunning scenery, impressive special effects and colourful costumes. The panto runs until December 30 at The Grand, Lancaster. Times vary.

Box office 01524-64695.

Tickets: Full £10; children (Under 16) £9; concessions £9.

SHE’s a regular on Mock The Week and a much-loved figure on Live At The Apollo, as well as being all over Radio 4; The News Quiz; Just A Minute; The Now Show and more. All this, of course, makes it sound like Zoe Lyons has some sort of idea what she’s doing in life. But does she? Or is she the perfect example of an Entry level Human? A mix of brutal put-downs and richly funny stories, on stage tomorrow (Friday, 8pm), at The Brewery, Kendal.

Box office 01539-725133.

Tickets £15.

A CONCERT presented by Lakeland Sinfonia features pianist Llŷr Williams and conductor Wyn Davies. The centrepiece is Beethoven's mighty Fifth Piano Concerto, the Emperor, never actually played in performance by the composer as his acute deafness made this impossible. The rest of the programme is a veritable pot-pourri of popular classics, from Vaughan Williams and Handel to Mozart and Manuel de Falla, his stamping Ritual Fire Dance then brings the Saturday (December 15) concert to a close. The concert starts at 7.30pm, in the Westmorland Hall, Kendal Leisure Centre. Box office 0333-666-3366.

Tickets £5-£25.