One of the masters of modern British comedy, Richard Herring brings his new show Happy Now? to the Alban Arena next week.

Herts Advertiser: Hail CaesarHail Caesar (Image: Archant)

After years of drifting aimlessly and alone, Richard is now settled down with a wife and a tiny baby. Is he finally happy now? Or does responsibility for the lives of others come with its own terrors?

In his 12th solo stand up show, he examines whether we are can ever hope to be or are meant to be truly content. If we were never unhappy would happiness have any meaning? Why do our brains force us to envision the worst possible outcomes even on a day when everything seems fine?

How likely is it that Richard’s baby will be skewered by a stalactite of frozen urine falling from a plane and is it really worth him wasting his time thinking about it? Does being happy mean a comedian loses his edge and true belly laughs only come from depression? How much pressure was there on Happy the dwarf to live up to his name? Is there any system that will guarantee us eternal bliss or should we just embrace the fact that life is a vale of tears and our only option is to laugh in its face?

Find out for yourself on April 15 at 8pm.

Herts Advertiser: ShalamarShalamar (Image: Archant)

Shalamar bring a blend of funk, disco and soul to the Arena on Saturday April 16 at 7.30pm

Howard Hewett and Jeffrey Daniel, who sold more 25 million records globally and collected more than 100 gold, silver and platinum awards, will be performing classics such as A Night to Remember, I Can Make You Feel Good, Friends, Make That Move, There It Is and I Owe You One.

There’s another chance to see the ultimate arts and crafts hero Mister Maker on Monday at 1pm and 4pm, in a show full of arty adventures including the colourful, all-dancing The Shapes! Tickets are £13.50, under-16s £10.

The Chris & Pui Show will be performing two shows on Wednesday at 11am and 2pm. Incy Wincy, Twinkle, Old MacDonald, Humpty, Granny Humpty and many more of your favourite Chris & Pui characters will be dropping in along with the toys – Tom, Momo, Teddington, Stuffy and Miss Mouse.

With songs, comedy sketches, a dash of magic and heaps of joining in, this is a family show for children aged two to a hundred and two.

The Coen Brothers’ latest film Hail, Caesar! Comes to the Arena on April 13 and 14 at 7.30pm.

In the early 1950s, Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin) is busy at work trying to solve all the problems of the actors and filmmakers at Capitol Pictures. His latest assignments involve a disgruntled director, a singing cowboy, a beautiful swimmer and a handsome dancer. As if all this wasn’t enough, Mannix faces his biggest challenge when Baird Whitlock (George Clooney) gets kidnapped while in costume for the swords-and-sandals epic “Hail, Caesar!” If the studio doesn’t pay $100,000, it’s the end of the line for the movie star.

Tickets for all shows are available from the box office on 01727 844488 or online.