What's On
Until Jan 2 - Aladdin, Civic Theatre, Chelmsford. 01245 606505.

Until Jan 27 - Jack and the Beanstalk, New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich. 01473 295900.

Tuesday - Signals Shorts, Colchester Arts Centre. 01206 500900.

Wednesday - Ruins, Colchester Arts Centre. 01206 500900.

Wednesday - That'll Be The Day, Ipswich Regent. 01473 433100.

Wednesday until Friday - One for the Road and Far Away, Lakeside Theatre, Essex University. 01206 873261.

Wednesday until Saturday - Sleeping Beauty and The Time Machine, Headgate Theatre, Colchester. 01206 366000.

Wednesday until Jan 20 - Mystery of the Blood Beast Horror of Wolfbane Manor Mystery, Sir John Mills Theatre, Ipswich. 01473 211498.

Thursday - Late night shopping and Christmas light switch-on, High Street, Wivenhoe, 6pm to 8pm.

Thursday - Victorian Christmas evening, High Street, Maldon, 7pm.

Thursday - Christmas late night shopping, Clacton town centre.

Thursday - St Osyth School Christmas fair, 6pm.

Thursday - Comedy Hat Club with Griff Griffiths, Dave Zonk, Matt Rudge, Richard Coughlan, Ha! Ha! Bar, Colchester.

Thursday until Saturday - Peter Pan, Youth of Light, St Charles Hall, Clacton.

Thursday until Saturday - Winter ale festival, Kingsway Hall, Dovercourt, 11am to 11pm.

Thursday until Jan 13 - Jack and the Beanstalk, Mercury Theatre, Colchester. 01206 573948.

Friday - Silky, Christian Reilly and Jefferson and Whitfield, Colchester Arts Centre. 01206 500900.

Friday - Mersea Lights-Up, West Mersea, 6.30pm to 8pm.

Friday - Christmas procession and market, Connaught Avenue, Frinton, 6pm to 9pm.

Friday - Christmas Fair, Langenhoe primary school, 6pm to 8.30pm.

Friday - Late night shopping event, Harwich Town Centre.

Friday - Walton Farmers' market, Columbine Centre, 9am to 12pm.

Friday until Monday - A Winter's Tale, Maldon Town Hall. 01621 841491.

Saturday - Christmas Saturday Spectacular, Walton Town Centre, 2pm to 6pm.

Saturday - Christmas fair, St Osyth Parish Church, 10am.

Saturday - Christmas fair, Methodist Church, Crossways, Jaywick, 11am to 2pm.

Saturday and Sunday - A Bit of a Do, Museum of Power, Langford. 01621 843183.

Saturday and Sunday - Christmas tree festival, All Saints Church Brightlingsea.

Saturday until Dec 23 - Days out with Santa and Thomas, East Anglian Railway Museum, Chappel. 01206 242524.

Sunday - Dickensian Christmas Market, Grove Centre, Witham, 10am to 4pm.

Live Music
Tuesday - Forever Falling, Kill Jezebel, Ar, Death In Moscow, The Twist, Colchester. 01206 562453.

Tuesday - Dane Stevens, Stanway Rovers Football Club, New Farm Road, Colchester.

Tuesday - The Wonder Stuff, Sub Zero, Essex University.

Wednesday - Rainer Hersch, Colchester Institute.

Wednesday - Wayne Martin, Cramphorn Theatre, Chelmsford, 1pm.

Wednesday - Howbridge Junior School Choir and Instrumentalists. Witham United Reformed Church, 1pm.

Wednesday - Stour Choral Society, Mistley Parish Church.

Wednesday - First Notes School of Music. Copford Village Hall.

Wednesday - Jesus College Choir, St Andrew's Church, Halstead.

Thursday - Max Tundra, Bad Loader, Colchester Arts Centre. 01206 500900.

Thursday - The Rues, Cyclosarin, Nex, The Twist, Colchester. 01206 562453.

Thursday - Bocking Concert Brass, Braintree Male Voice Choir, Christ Church, Braintree.

Thursday - Pete Quin and friends, The Greyhound, Wivenhoe. 01026 827759.

Friday - Music and Readings for Christmas. Chelmsford Cathedral, 12.30pm.

Friday - Carved From Violence, Timefall, Overrider, The Twist, Colchester. 01206 562453.

Friday - FX, Malsters, Colchester.

Friday - Ruth Palmer (violin) and Alexei Grynyuk (piano), Constable Hall, East Bergholt. 01206 299448.

Friday - AloneMe, High Barn, Great Bardfield. 01371 811291.

Friday - The Mighty Resonators, Molly Malones, Colchester.

Friday - Colne Harmony Ladies Barbershop, St Michael's Church, Myland, 7.30pm. 01206 851743.

Friday - Cockney Jocks, The Blackhorse pub, Stratford St Mary.

Friday - Peter King Quartet, Jazz at the Fleece, Boxford. 01787 211865.

Saturday - Christmas Cracker Concert, Charter Hall, Colchester. 01206 282020.

Saturday - St Botolph's Music Society Mozart Concerts, St Botolph's Church, Colchester. 01206 577905.

Saturday - Orange Goblin, Quantum Bigfoot, Colchester Arts Centre. 01206 500900.

Saturday - Steffi Hayward, Ha! Ha! Bar, Colchester, 1.30pm.

Saturday - Harwich Royal British Legion Brass Band Christmas concert, Dovercourt High School, 3pm to 6pm.

Saturday - Abbatoir, The Amberplan, Traffic To Nowhere, The Twist, Colchester. 01206 562453.

Saturday - Mohawk, Molly Malones, Colchester.

Saturday - Essex Police Christmas Cracker Concert, Charter Hall, Colchester. 01206 282020.

Saturday - Bach to Brubeck, Trinity Free Church, Mistley.

Saturday - A Winter Tapestry concert, Trinity Methodist Church, Clacton.

Saturday - Coope, Boyes and Simpson, Fraser Sisters, Georgina Boyes, Cramphorn Theatre, Chelmsford. 01245 606505.

Saturday - Southern Soul Machine, The Rifleman, Braintree.

Sunday - Dave Lewis 1Up, Colchester Arts Centre. 01206 500900.

Sunday - Colchester Choral Society carol concert, Charter Hall, Colchester. 01206 282020.

Sunday - Rotary Carol concert, Princes Theatre, Clacton, 3pm.

Sunday - Washboard Syncopators, Colchester Jazz Club, New Farm Road, Stanway.

Sunday - Welsummer Singers, Read House day centre, Frinton seafront, 2.30pm.