We don’t know about you, but we always feel like there’s something magical about the nights starting to draw in and the arrival of autumn and winter. While we love summer for getting us out in the fresh air, autumn make us want to cosy up with delicious food in a restaurant, wander twinkling city streets and spend the evening being transported to another world with live theatre.
Better still pair your evening of action and music with dinner, drinks and a stay and we reckon you’ve got the perfect date night or family getaway pre-Christmas. Ready to start planning your perfect weekend out? Leave it to us…
Cobbled streets and more independent cafes and restaurants than we could ever possibly list, St Albans has date night written all over it. Pair that with the range of live music and theatre on the cards at the Alban Arena this season, including the hilariously informative No Such Thing as a Fish, the magic of the Big Band at Christmas, and a taste of the 90s with Boyzlife. Enjoy early bird dinner and drinks at The Ivy or Loft, or sip local brews from Mad Squirrel, before taking your seats. After all that, why not skip the last train home and spend the night at the stylish Aubrey Park Hotel?
This November Stevenage’s Gordon Craig Theatre will play host to the sound of a generation as The Magic of Motown takes to the stage. Begin your evening of music and magic with a dinner in the Stevenage Old Town in the elegant Rump and Wade brasserie and then round up your night with a stay in Hotel Cromwell’s independently styled rooms.
Theatre is just as much for the little ones here in Herts and at Hertford Theatre you can immerse yourself in the snowy world in Lunavik where the moon has frozen and a greedy dragon has gobbled up the fire and light! This tender folk story tells the tale of love, friendship and giving, with music and songs to transport you and your little ones. From one dragon to another, treat your little ones with dinner at LOMO and tuck into their Littlens menu, meet LOMO the dragon and even sip on a free dragon mocktail.
Award-winning creators of Austen’s Women, Christmas Gothic and The Time Machine are bringing the timeless story of Marilyn Monroe to Hemel Hempstead this season. Hear the no frills tale of the icon’s final moments, her remarkable life and memories of Hollywood’s most famous in The Unremarkable Death of Marilyn Monroe. Round off your evening with dinner in the cosy The Bricklayer’s Arms in the nearby village of Flaunden and you’ve got an evening of glamour and indulgence.
Watersmeet Theatre brings you the all-singing, all-dancing extravaganza, “Come What May”, the ultimate tribute to Moulin Rouge. Allow a cast of top West End performers to transport you to the glamorous underworld of Paris, before tucking in at nearby ZaZa, an Italian food lover’s paradise. While easy train links mean you can be soon be whisked home, we recommend making this into a full weekend with a stay in one of North Hill Farm’s glamourous glamping cabins.
Creativity, colour and chaos…Pagrav Dance Company’s production of Kattam Katti will lead you from dark winter nights in the UK to the festival atmosphere of Gujurat, North India, bringing the world-famous Uttarayan celebration to life. For pre-theatre drinks let BloomsYard, followed by dinner at The Florist continue the visual feast.
