BEYOND the Barricade, billed as the UK s leading musical theatre concert, is returning to the Alban Arena next Thursday. The popular musical revue-style show recreates the songs, music and sounds of the world s most popular musicals. The cast of past prin

BEYOND the Barricade, billed as the UK's leading musical theatre concert, is returning to the Alban Arena next Thursday.

The popular musical revue-style show recreates the songs, music and sounds of the world's most popular musicals.

The cast of past principal performers from Les Miserables and the West End perform songs from Miss Saigon, The Lion King, Phantom of the Opera, We Will Rock You, Chicago, Blood Brothers and many other major hit productions.

The new production, which comes on stage at 8pm, also includes songs from the latest shows on the block including Wicked, Spamalot and Billy Elliot, climaxing with a spectacular finale from Les Miserables.

Tickets are £19.50 and £17.50, available from the Arena box office on 01727 844488.

l Outspoken and brash broadcaster and writer Jon Gaunt returns to the Arena the following night, Friday, January 25, with special guests yet to be announced.

Gaunty, as he is known, has worked on numerous radio stations in the past as well as appearing on TV's Newsnight, Alan Titchmarsh Show and Eamonn Holmes Show. Currently he can be heard kicking political correctness and liberal Britain into touch on his mid-morning current affairs show on Talk Sport.

The controversial commentator has been awarded three Sony Radio Academy Gold Awards and has dealt with controversy throughout his career.

In his live show he talks about how he escaped a childhood in care, bounced back from bankruptcy and became the mouth of Britain.

Tickets are £16 and the evening gets underway at 7.30pm.

l The Royal Marines Band will be marching onto the Arena stage the following night, Saturday, January 26, for their annual concert.

Featuring classical, popular and military music, it will be performed by the world-famous band and Corps of Drums.

For more than two decades, the Rotary Clubs of Radlett, St Albans and St Albans Verulamium have organised the annual concert in aid of local charities which this year includes the St Albans Fund for the Future.

The concert starts at 7.30pm and tickets are £19 and £15, available from the Arena box office on the number above.

l Intellectual thriller Michael Clayton is showing at the Arena next Tuesday and Wednesday evenings..

Tony Gilroy made his directorial debut in the film which stars George Clooney as Michael, the "fixer" for a large corporate law firm where it is his job to stretch the truth until it fits the required company line.

That is put to the test when the top litigator and personal friend Arthur (Tom Wilkinson) goes off the wall in the middle of a meeting with U-North, a company accused of selling pesticides which are lethal to humans.

After Arthur's mysterious death, Michael starts to find that not all is as it seems.

It can be seen at 7.30pm each evening and tickets are £6 with concessions £2 off.

Next Wednesday's midweek matinee at 1.30pm is The Jane Austen Book Club which brings together an unlikely group of people through a book club where they only read her classics.

As each book is read by the group, one of the members finds a main character to identify with and the inspiration they are lacking.

The film was written by Robin Swicord who has written the screenplay for many successful movies including Memoirs of a Geisha, Practical Magic and Little Women.

Tickets are £4 which includes tea and a biscuit before the screening.