Ten of the best things to do in and around Bedford in the next seven days

1 THEATREThe Wizard of Oz, Bedford Corn Exchange, November 29 to December 1Follow the yellow brick road with Dorothy, Scarecrow, The Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion on their journey through the magical land of Oz. The show includes many of the songs from the famous MGM musical. The show is presented by Rare Productions.Details: bedfordcornexchange.co.uk

2 MUSICThe Amorettes, Bedford Esquires, November 24The Scottish hard rock trio are proud of their no-nonsense, fuss-free approach as they try to “take over the world, one show at a time”.Details: theamorettes.com

3 MUSICTad Newton’s Jazzfriends, Bedford Golf Club, Great Denham, November 29The popular ensemble will celebrate the swinging jazz of Armstrong, Basie, Ellington, Waller and more, with special guest Amy Roberts on clarinet and sax.Details: call 01234 320022

4 THEATREThe 39 Steps, Quarry Theatre, Bedford, November 29 to December 1Eight actors play more than 100 characters in this comic staging of The 39 Steps set in London, 1935. When the play went to Broadway, it won two Tony awards and took the UK by storm in the 10th anniversary ‘re-revival’ in 2016. It’s a chance to meet up with cherished characters and enjoy great feats of vocal and physical slapstick. Details: www.quarrytheatre.org.uk

5 MUSICUltrasound and The Electric Soft Parade, Bedford Esquires, November 23The indie-rock favourites team up for a special joint headline gig. Formed in 1997, Ultrasound’s epic space rock anthems saw them dubbed ‘Punk Floyd’ and they were immediately feted by the music press. Their debut album, Everything Picture, was remarkably ambitious, a sprawling double LP which received rave reviews and, as urban legend would have it, also bankrupted their record label. The Electric Soft Parade is the moniker of Brighton-based brothers Alex and Thomas White. In 2002 they released the Mercury Music Prize-nominated LP Holes in the Wall, a winning mix of psychedelic rock and power pop. Tours with Ian Brown and Noel Gallagher followed, as did notable side projects such as Brakes and further increasingly inventive albums, the most recent being 2013’s Idiots.Details: seetickets.com

6 BAZAARBazaar and Christmas Bake Off, Carlton Village Hall, November 24Browse a collection of Christmas stalls with gifts and produce, and take a home-made mince pie along to get it judged.

7 MUSICSweet Caroline - A Tribute to Neil Diamond, Bedford Corn Exchange, November 22Featuring Gary Ryan, as seen on Stars in Their Eyes, this musical journey celebrates 50 years of a legend. From Brooklyn to Hollywood, Neil Diamond has left a legacy of great songs spanning genres from the reggae of Red Red Wine, through the country of Cracklin’ Rosie, and the Hollywood music of The Jazz Singer.Details: bedfordcornexchange.co.uk

8 MUSICForest Folk, College Arms, Cranfield, November 23Folk/roots duo, Honey & the Bear perform, with support from MK’s soulful acoustic singer-songwriter Manny and the Coloured Sky.Details: forestfolkandroots.weebly.com

9 OPERAGlyndebourne 2018, Milton Keynes Theatre, November 27 to 29World-class opera returns to Milton Keynes as the Glyndebourne Tour returns for the 18th consecutive year. This year will feature Massenet’s great operatic fairytale Cendrillon and a revival of Tom Cairns’ opulent production of Verdi’s La traviata. A third event will take audiences behind the scenes of the creation of opera with actor and comedian Chris Addison.Details: atgtickets.com

10 COMEDYMarcus Brigstocke: Devil May Care, The Stables, Wavendon, November 28It is time to establish, once and for all, what is good and what is bad. Who better to arbitrate in these challenging, divisive times than Lucifer himself? Details: stables.org