A pipistrelle flew in through children's entertainer Chris Garside's bedroom window and he woke at 2am to find it on his arm. Both are fine; the show goes on.

A children’s entertainer about to play his fifth Halloween show at Stantonbury Theatre has had a real-life fright of his own: a pipistrelle bat flew in through his bedroom window in the small hours, and he woke at 2am to find it on his arm.

Chris Garside, who performs as Krisgar, told MK Daily about the encounter ahead of his Halloween Magic Show at the theatre on Saturday 31 October.

Precautionary treatment

After the bat’s visit, Chris had precautionary medical treatment. A bite was thought unlikely, he says, but bat bites can be so small that they go unnoticed. He has since finished the treatment and is still performing.

The bat itself came to no harm. It was carefully taken back outside, where it crept in under the eaves of an outbuilding and sheltered there until later that evening, when it flew off.

“I’d like to think it found its way back to its family,” Chris said. “It was quite an experience, but I was just glad the little thing was okay.”

The Halloween show

On 31 October Chris and his puppet sidekick Tricky Teddy return to Stantonbury Theatre. According to the theatre’s listing, it is the duo’s fifth year there, and Chris describes it as a mix of comedy magic, ventriloquism and Halloween fun that is not meant to scare anyone, timed so families can go trick-or-treating afterwards.

Poster for the Halloween Magic Show: KE Productions present Krisgar and Tricky Teddy in a fun magic and puppet show for the whole family, ages 4 and up, new show content for 2026, Saturday 31 October 2026 at Stantonbury Theatre. Chris Garside, in a blue shirt and black waistcoat, holds a wand beside a teddy bear puppet in a bow tie, against bare winter trees.
The poster for this year's Halloween Magic Show with Tricky Teddy. Photo: supplied by Krisgar Entertainments

If you are going

  • When: Saturday 31 October 2026, 2.30pm. The show runs for about 60 minutes.
  • Where: Stantonbury Theatre, Milton Keynes MK14 6BN.
  • Who for: ages 4 and up, according to the poster and the theatre.
  • Tickets: adults £10, concessions £8, and a family ticket for two adults and two children £34, plus a £1.50 booking fee per ticket, as listed by the theatre on 15 October. The box office is on 01908 324466 (option 2).

For more of what is on over half-term and Halloween, see our Milton Keynes Halloween guide and what’s on this month.