ELMER the Patchwork Elephant is at The Haymarket for five fun-filled performances from Friday, 1 March to Sunday, 3 March.

Based on the children’s book series by David McKee, Elmer the Patchwork Elephant is a celebration of individuality and the power of laughter.

Elephants, as everyone knows, are big, have trunks, and are grey. But Elmer is a patchwork of brilliant colours. His fun-loving and cheerful personality keeps everyone in a playful mood, until the day he gets tired of being different and tries to blend in with the herd.

Elmer the Patchwork Elephant, featuring a menagerie of 21 loveable puppets, tells the tale of an elephant that stands out but who ultimately realises that his friends have always valued his unique characteristics.

A favourite of young people since the book was first published in 1989, this inspiring and imaginative tale has been adapted for the stage by Suzanne Maynard Miller, with songs by Allison Leyton-Brown.

The show’s subtle message that it is always best to be yourself, combined with the vibrant colour and cheeky humour of the main character, makes Elmer a great show for children of all ages.

X Factor winner Sam Bailey joins Steve Steinman in the hit musical extravaganza Vampires Rock at The Anvil on Wednesday, 6 March.

Sam is looking forward to getting her teeth into a real rocker of a show when she takes on the role of the Vampire Queen.

Throwing just the right amount of fun and humour into his scripts Steinman always has the audience roaring with laughter and wanting more.

This hilarious musical concert lives up to its rocking reputation; a tongue-in-cheek story, spellbinding cast, fire routines, guitar gods and sexy vampettes take you on a ride through some of the greatest eighties rock anthems ever including tracks from Queen, AC/DC, Meat Loaf, Journey, Guns n Roses and many more.

Steve Harley, accompanied by his Cockney Rebel bandmates, performs at The Haymarket on Thursday, 7 March.

This Acoustic Trio performance is an intimate show promising subtle lyricism, mingled with great improvisation and rocky rhythms.

They'll perform tracks from 13 of Steve's original albums, including all-time favourites Mr Soft, Judy Teen, Mr Raffles, Sebastian, and of course, Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me), as well as recent tracks from the albums The Quality Of Mercy and Stranger Comes To Town.

For details of all the shows now on sale visit anvilarts.org.uk or call the Anvil Arts box office on 01256 844244.