Lighthouse Poole's autumn and winter line-up

If you have been waiting for a proper night at the theatre without the train to London, the next few months are shaping up nicely. Lighthouse Poole has just laid out its autumn and winter programme, and it is a busy one, with a good mix of comedy, music and a bit of stage drama to keep you going through the colder months.

The big draw for theatregoers is Twelve Angry Men, which lands in April 2027 starring Gray O'Brien, Bill Ward and Ricky Norwood. It is not the only piece of drama on the horizon, either: The Turn of the Screw is also in the works, and Phantoms of the Popera is set for 29 September 2027. If you are more in the mood for a laugh, Charlie Connelly brings Attention All Shipping – A Celebration of the Shipping Forecast' to the stage, and the line-up of comedians is long, with Nick Cope, Al Murray, Johannes Radebe and Rob Auton all booked in.

Music makes up a huge chunk of what is to come. The autumn is particularly stacked, with This Is The Kit on 3 September, Richard Thompson on 10 September, Freya Ridings on 15 September, Grace Petrie on 24 September and Heathers The Musical on 29 September. October adds Simon Brodkin, John Cooper Clarke, Phil Wang, Starsailor, Leo Sayer, Flo and Joan and Susan Calman, before Stewart Lee closes the month on 31 October. November keeps the momentum going with Judi Love, the London Symphonic Rock Orchestra, The Shires, Hothouse Flowers and Ben Folds, and The Amy Winehouse Band on 28 November. December leans into the festive season with The Muppet Christmas Carol, The Holiday In Concert, Live at Christmas and Love Actually In Concert, and the new year carries on with Whitney Queen Of The Night, Hamza Yassin, Lucy Beaumont, Wet Wet Wet, Alan Carr, Elkie Brooks and Tubular Bells.

It is worth remembering what you are getting into when you book. Lighthouse Poole is a proper multi-arts venue, not a small room, and it has been running since the end of the 1970s. It takes in theatre, live music, comedy, cinema and exhibitions all under one roof, with a combined capacity of 2,424 and a concert hall that holds 1,500. The names that have passed through its doors over the years tell the story: Oasis, KISS, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, U2 and Kings of Leon have all played here, so it is a stage that knows how to handle a big name. Beyond the headline shows, it also runs the Lighthouse Writing Group and a range of courses, from Zine Cuisine to an intensive writing course with Mike Garley, so there is more going on here than just the big bills.

If you are planning to go, it is worth keeping an eye on how tickets are released. Priority booking for most shows opened on Friday 24 July for Lighthouse Best & Great Friends, and opens on Tuesday 28 July for Lighthouse Good Friends, before general sales begin on Friday 31 July. With a programme this full, the popular nights will be the ones to sort early. Whether you are after a big night out or something quieter, there is plenty to choose from between now and the middle of next year.