Sarah Singleton looks at what's coming up at the Swindon Arts Centre this season

FROM the Simpsons to Shakespeare, from Russian drama to Only Fools and Horses, the autumn season at the Swindon Arts Centre offers a veritable gamut of cultural entertainments.

Comedy and drama, music and film, the arts centre in Devizes Road is hosting international performers and old favourites alongside hot new talent and family events.

On Thursday, September 7, you can meet infamous poisoners William Palmer and Harvey Crippen in Murder by Gaslight – a ghoulish soirée in which the diabolical doctors will recount tales of their evil deed and invite you to judge whether they were indeed guilty as charged. Acclaimed actor Jonathan Goodwin, who also wrote the play, performs the roles of both Palmer and Crippen in this original stage drama. The production is by Don’t Go Into the Cellar! Theatre, a regular practitioner of macabre Victoriana.

Hear the sounds of the Simpsons on September 9, when Yianni Agisilaou presents The Simpsons Taught Me Everything I Know – when he takes an amusing and indeed cromulent look at the global television hit series and how he almost became the replacement voice for Mr Burns and Smithers.

The arts centre has plenty of comedy on offer this season.

Kathy Lette’s Girls Night Out on Friday, September 15 is billed as a psychological strip tease taking us from Puberty Blues to Menopause Blues, and en route, making the Queen laugh, hiding Julian Assange and close encounters with George Clooney.

Scottish comedian Danny Bhoy embarks on the maiden tour of his new show this autumn with Make Something Great Again For Stronger Better Future Tomorrow Together on Saturday, September 23, with his own brand of observational story-telling.

Denmark-born Sofie Hagen (pictured) takes the stage on Sunday, October 15 with her show Dead Baby Frog. Sofie won Best Newcomer at Edinburgh 2015 and this brand new show is packed with offbeat observations and passionate argument.

Another comedic highlight is James Acaster, talking about his first ever book, James Acaster’s Classic Scrapes, a collection of self-deprecating anecdotes about his adventures over the years. The show takes place on Wednesday, October 25.

Theatre lovers may like to try an unusual and interactive Shakespeare production on Saturday, September 16, called Impromptu Shakespeare, when the performers will create an entirely new ‘Shakespeare’ play, improvised on the spot using audience suggestions.

Henrik Ibsen’s classic 19th century Norwegian masterpiece, A Doll’s House, will be performed on October 5, telling the story of housewife Nora, and how her marriage reaches a dangerous crisis when her husband Torvald finds out the secrets she has kept from him.

Music choices include the Swindon Recital series, with Paul Turner playing Chopin on piano (see page 5) and an eclectic collection of music on the theme of The ‘Complete’ Heroine performed by mezzo soprano Claire McCaldin and pianist Paul Turner on December 9.

And if that were not enough, how about an audience with much-loved comedy actor John Challis – famous for his role as Boycie in BBC1’s Only Fools and Horses - will be visiting the arts centre on October 11, with his show An Audience with John Challis, when he will reveal secrets from the set with stories from his long career in television.

More details of these and many other shows can be at swindontheatres.co.uk.

Book tickets through the website or call the ticket office on 01793 524481.