Harrow Arts Centre has announced its new season up to Christmas. Chief reporter IAN PROCTOR looks at who's coming to town

AUDIENCES will be able to enjoy comedy, poetry, musicals, movies, classical concerts, ballet and more at the borough's foremost performance space during the coming three months.

The entertainment at Harrow Arts Centre, in Uxbridge Road, Hatch End, begins next Wednesday and there will be something for everyone.

Among the films being screened are Hollywood classics such as Casablanca, Breakfast At Tiffany's and It's A Wonderful Life, alongside modern dramas such as A Single Man and Precious.

Children's favourites include Up, Fantastic Mr Fox and Percy Jackson And The Lightning Thief.

Laughs are guaranteed with stand-up gigs by Gina Yashere, who brings her Skinny B*tch tour to Harrow at the end of September, and comedian and television commentator Hardeep Singh Kholi, who brings his The Nearly Naked Chef show, mixing cooking with comedy, in early October.

A different twist will be provided at the start of December in the form of Ashley J and Tee-J's ACTing Up!, a live improvised comedy game show involving two teams creating hilarious versions of songs, adverts and well-known films on the fly.

Theatrical performances scheduled include Girl's Night, a musical comedy about five friends feeling nostalgic at karaoke; Welcome To Rocksburg, a South African production in which a disfigured man becomes caught up in a battle between criminals and the police; and A Big Day For The Goldbergs, a light-hearted look at modern family life.

The spirit of the 1930s musical hall is rekindled with The Missionary's Position, while four MCs blend spoken word, comedy and grime music in an unusual rep theatre piece called 8sixteen32.

Meanwhile, the spoken word is catered for by a night of live literature by d'bi.Young. Then comes Blackheart Man, a monologue by a Rastafarian performance poet, Moqapi Selassie, and a show by TaN, part of the Poets Get Paid house poetry ensemble.

Music aficionados can enjoy a piano recital by Young-Choon Park, the Airplay live music concert fundraising for Oxfam, a Rat Pack Vegas Spectacular, a two-day festival with the Harrow Music Service Band, and the Tony Kofi Quartet jazz band, fronted by saxophonist and composer Tony Kofi.

Further performances scheduled include Graffiti Classics, a slapstick string quartet, and Hatch End and Pinner's community choirs.

Bharatanatyam dance will be featured in Vichitra 2010, while students of BearFoot School of Performing Arts grace the stage twice in November, and The Nutcracker ballet can be seen in the same month.

Try out foxtrot, rumba, tango and cha cha at December's Basically Ballroom social dancing evening.

There are, of course, family performances in the shape of The Confetti Maker, The Mousehole Cat, Handa's Surprise and The Sleeping Princess and pantomime Aladdin.