THEATRE REVIEW: Hamlet Hail To The Thief at the Barbican

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ***

WHEN?: Monday 9 November, opens 12 November and runs through 23 January 2027 RUNTIME: 100 minutes (no interval)

The best thing about this collision between Shakespeare’s 400-year-old play and Radiohead’s Grammy-winning 2003 album is the undeniable power of the live band here playing its angry, discordant rock during frequent moments of horror.

  • Read on for reasons including how while there were very many elements of this work we enjoyed, we didn’t feel it came together as a particular coherent whole
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THEATRE REVIEW: Mamma Mia at Teatre Tivoli, Barcelona

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By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHEN?: Sunday 1 November 2026 and runs through 24 January 2027 RUNTIME: 140 minutes (including a 20-minute interval)

It’s hard to go wrong when your jukebox musical includes songs of the calibre of the titular Mamma Mia, Dancing Queen and The Winner Takes It All even if in Spanish when it’s only the viewer’s 2nd language.

  • Read on for reasons including how this behemoth has now played in more than 60 countries across 6 continents
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AWARDS SHORTLIST: MONSTAS: Best Musical of 2026

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

It’s been quite the year, it’s almost Christmas and what would the festive season be without some recognition of the best of 2026? Over the next 2 months we’ll shortlist five nominees in each of 17 categories for our Oscars, or monstas if you will, of 2026.

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THEATRE REVIEW: Hay Fever starring Christine Baranski and Richard E Grant at the Wyndham’s Theatre

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHEN?: Saturday 24 October (matinee) and running through 12 December 2026 RUNTIME: 120 minutes (including a 20-minute interval)

It’s a hoot to see Richard E Grant onstage after his unforgettable turn in TV’s Celebrity Traitors but, make no mistake, Christine Baranski’s (TV’s Big Bang Theory and film Mamma Mia) snark-filled West End debut is the reason to see this Noel Coward comedy classic.

  • Read on for reasons including how Baranski’s West End debut is not to be sneezed at and her camp put downs are worth the price of admission alone
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ALBUM OF THE MONTH: A Man From The Future by Pet Shop Boys (November 2026)

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

Tracklist: Natural Wonders Every Child Should Know; He Dreamed Of Machines; The Enigma; Other Ranks; The Memory And The Control; The Trial; Only In His Death; A Man From The Future

It’s the voice of former prime minister Gordon Brown making a 2009 apology to codebreaker and computer pioneer Alan Turing, acknowledging his contribution to winning World War Two and expressing regret at the inhumanity of the homophobic laws he was persecuted by on the title track that bring home how relevant to today this story remains.

  • Read on for reasons including how this is a moving reminder of an extraordinary life lived by a man whose brilliance made such a difference but was brutally cut short
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THEATRE REVIEW: The Hunger Games: On Stage at Troubadour Canary Wharf

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: **

WHEN?: Friday 2 October 2026, booking through 17 October 2027

It must have all looked so promising on paper.

  • Read on for reasons including how we’re in the front row but couldn’t feel further from this uninvolving spectacle lacking in emotion
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SONG OF THE MONTH: Young And Dumb by Everything But The Girl (November 2026)

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WORTH A LOOK?: ****1/2

Everything But The Girl’s career has embraced a wide variety of styles and this new single marks a return to where it all began, the laidback jazz of 1984’s debut album Eden.

  • Read on for reasons including everything we know about the new album
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GIG REVIEW: Knats at The MOTH Club, Hackney

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Carron Stacey, A Humdrum Mum

WHEN?: Friday 30 October 2026, tour runs through 23 March 2027

Some six months ago, having heard Knats on 6Music, I booked these tickets for Mr H, as a bit of a surprise really.

  • Read on for reasons including how the commitment to their performance is equal to the commitment to the fun they have performing
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GIG REVIEW: Duran Duran, Danse Macabre Hallowe’en Party, All Hallows Eve, 2026

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Carron Stacey, A Humdrum Mum

WHEN?: Saturday 31 October 2026, tour runs through 6 November 2026

This is probably the 10th or 11th time we’ve seen them (and by we, I mean my friend and I, not Mr H!).

  • Read on for reasons including don’t come to a Hallowe’en gig if you’re a fan who wants to hear their hits – come if you want something different
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AWARDS SHORTLIST: MONSTAS: Best TV of 2026

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

It’s been quite the year, it’s almost Christmas and what would the festive season be without some recognition of the best of 2026? Over the next 2 months we’ll shortlist five nominees in each of 17 categories for our Oscars, or monstas if you will, of 2026.

Read More