THE Royal Australian Mint is showcasing the story of Stuart Devlin, Geelong-born designer of Australia’s circulating coins and goldsmith and jeweller to the Queen, in an exhibition called “The Designer with the Midas Touch”. On show will be the Wiltshire Staysharp Knife MK1, furniture, tableware and candelabra that lit up dining rooms of the rich and powerful.

IT’S quite a coup for The Street Theatre’s Caroline Stacey to be directing the world premiere season of “Cold Light”, adapted by Alana Valentine from the novel by Frank Moorhouse. Sonia Todd is cast in the role of the fictional protagonist Edith Campbell Berry, who returns to Australia and to its new capital in the 1950s with the ambition to become the country’s first female ambassador. Stacey commissioned and workshopped the stage play in 2013.

ONE of the most popular works by CS Lewis after “The Chronicles of Narnia” is “The Screwtape Letters”, which follows the correspondence between a senior demon, Screwtape, and his junior demon nephew, Wormwood. Directed and adapted by Hailey McQueen, this dark comedy is performed by Yannick Lawry, with George Zhao as his sidekick Toadpipe. At the Courtyard Studio, December 19-23. Bookings to canberratheatrecentre.com.au or 6275 2700.

SMITH’S Alternative is offering a night of cocktails and “theatrical delights” in the part-Sherlock Holmes mystery, part-Jules Verne adventure, part-Oscar Wilde comedy “Early Grave, Fashionably Late”, by Canberra-based performer Christopher Samuel Carroll, who debuted the show last year at the Edinburgh Fringe. Smith’s, 76 Alinga Street, Civic, December 20, bookings to smithsalternative.com

BILK Gallery’s annual Christmas exhibition focuses on the best of Australian one-off collectables including new rings, glass flowers, whisky and sake glass sets, earrings and necklaces in glass, silver and gold. Palmerston Lane, Manuka, until December 24.

WALLIS Bird, two-time winner of the Meteor Award, Ireland’s national music prize, will be at the Phoenix Pub, Civic, on Wednesday, December 21. Tickets at the door.