ARDHOWEN Theatre has a great line-up of entertainment this autumn to keep the winter blues at bay. This week there is the ‘All Star Country Show’ tonight (Thursday), classical dance from Ballet Ireland in ‘Swan Lake’ on Friday and the Van Morrison tribute show ‘Celtic Soul’ returns to the theatre on Saturday.

ALL STAR COUNTRY SHOW The All Star Country Show tonight at 8pm promises to be an evening of good old fashioned country music performed by a galaxy of top recording artists. Compere Terence McKeague will be joined by the award-winning Tony Kerr, singer-songwriter Liam McLaughlin, country singer, Chris Logue, who spent many years on the road with the Logue and McCool Country Band, Kathy Kane and the singer-songwriter, Crawford Bell. One of the best backing bands on the circuit, The Steve Farlow Duo, completes a great evening’s entertainment.

SWAN LAKE Ballet Ireland presents ‘Swan Lake’, one of the greatest love stories of classical ballet tomorrow at 8pm.

This most famous of ballets combines romantic themes, classical technique and ethereal imagery together with Tchaikovsky’s majestic score, to ensure this masterpiece’s immortality.

‘Swan Lake’ tells the story of Odette, a beautiful princess, who by day is turned into a swan by evil magician Von Rothbart, only to regain her human form at night. Out hunting by the Lakeside, Prince Siegfried encounters her and falls in love with her. But will he be able to break Von Rothbart’s spell?

Twenty five leading professional dancers from Ireland and abroad will perform in this breath-taking production which was loved by audiences and critics when last produced by Ballet Ireland.

CELTIC SOUL – THE MUSIC OF VAN MORRISON Celtic Soul returns to the Ardhowen Theatre on Saturday at 8pm to pay homage to one of the truly great singer/songwriters of all time, Van Morrison.

Receiving critical acclaim from devout Van fans everywhere, they perform all the big hits like ‘Jackie Wilson Said’, ‘Days Like This’, ‘Brown Eyed Girl’, ‘Ballerina’, ‘Cyprus Avenue’ and ‘In the Garden’ among many others in a packed show.

Celtic Soul features Clarke Wilson on vocals and saxophone; Ray McEvoy, electric guitar; Marcus McAuley, acoustic guitar; Rik Gay, drums; Keith Ward, piano and keyboards; Gerry McClurg, trumpet; and Mark Crockard, electric and double bass.

With more years than the band care to remember playing in blues, folk, traditional and jazz bands these musicians have the ingredients to combine and deliver Van’s music with authenticity. www.celtic-soul.com BABAR THE LITTLE ELEPHANT Big Mouth Piano Tales presents this classic French children’s story written by Jean de Brunhoff, with music by Francis Poulenc. Hear how Babar escapes from a hunter in the Great Forest and goes to live with the Old Lady in the town, before returning to his fellow elephants and a wonderful surprise.

In a completely interactive performance for children and families, the audience will become camels, birds, rabbits, alligators and of course – elephants. Let’s hope there are some good dancers, singers and actors in the audience on Tuesday, November 11, at 10.30am to help Frances and Mark with the story. This production is suitable for children aged four years and over.

For more information, go to www.bigmouthpianotales.co.uk RUMORS Following their Easter pantomime ‘Cinderella’ and last year’s sell-out comedy, ‘It Runs In The Family’, the popular local drama group, Borderline Players, is back with Neil Simon’s ‘Rumors’ on Thursday, November 13, Friday, November 14 and Saturday, November 15 at 8pm. This riotously funny farce centres around eight dinner party guests and their attempts to spare their unfortunate host, and themselves, from being involved in a scandal.

The play opens with Ken and Chris who have found their host for the evening Charlie, a prominent Government official, in his bedroom, too dazed to speak, with a bullet wound in his earlobe! His wife, Vivian, and the domestic help are nowhere to be seen. The evening descends into chaos of epic proportions before a surprising explanation to the evening’s turn of events proves more incredible than anyone could have imagined.

NEITHER EITHER On Wednesday, November 19,at 8pm Maiden Voyage Dance from Belfast and the Liz Roche Company from Dublin, come together to premiere new dance work, ‘Neither Either’, which looks at the predicament of living out two conflicting states of mind at once, inspired by the writings of Seamus Heaney. Choreographed by Liz Roche and set to Neil Martin’s score, identities, beliefs, emotions and aspirations are put to the test in this poignant blend of dance, poetry and music.

‘Neither Either’ is funded by Arts Council Ireland, Arts Council Northern Ireland, Belfast City Council, Dublin City Council, Dance Limerick and Lloyds Foundation NI.

This performance is suitable for 11+ years and there will be an opportunity to meet the dancers and choreographer after the show for a discussion about the themes of the work and working in the creative industry today.

FUTURE EVENTS Looking further ahead, Erne Flower Arrangement Society holds its annual demonstration on Thursday, November 20, called ‘Christmas My Way’, and Spirit Medium, Derek Acorah appears at Ardhowen on Saturday, November 22. Jimmy Buckley returns for another night of fine country music on Thursday, November 27, followed by the Harlem Gospel Choir on Friday, November 28.