THEATRE REVIEW: Night Cap starring Aimie Atkinson with Paul Taylor-Mills

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHERE?: Theatre Cafe

WHEN?: Available 22/10/20 from 8pm until 29/10/20

SETLIST: Don’t Rain On My Parade (Funny Girl); On My Own (Les Miserables); Whatever (Legacy Falls); Day Of Cries (original); Breathe (In The Heights)

Atkinson was enjoying her 1st West End leading lady role when the world locked down but she’s keen to stress it was no overnight success and urges others not to give up when pursuing their dreams.

  • Read on for reasons including how Atkinson has learned piano in lockdown and written her own songs
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THEATRE REVIEW: Death of England: Delroy starring Michael Balogun at the National Theatre

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK?: *****

WHERE?: National Theatre RUNTIME: 90 minutes (no interval)

WHEN: 21/10/20, runs to 28/11/20

It’s a big week for UK theatre with the rescheduled Olivier Awards on Sunday and tonight (Wednesday 21 October) the National Theatre re-opened for the 1st time since lockdown in March.

  • Read on for reasons including what National Theatre director Rufus Norris took to the stage to say
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ALBUM OF THE MONTH: Dark Hearts by Annie (October 2020)

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

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

OUT: 16/10/20

TRACKLIST: In Heaven; The Streets Where I Belong; Dark Hearts; Miracle Mile; Corridors Of Time; Forever ’92; American Cars; Mermaid Dreams; Stay Tomorrow; The Countdown To The End Of The World; The Bomb; The Untold Story; It’s Finally Over

Anne Lilia Berge Strand released single The Greatest Hit with house producer/soon-to-be boyfriend Tore Kroknes in 1999 and, two years later before they could release an album, he died from a congenital heart defect.

  • Read on for reasons including how Dark Hearts contains some of the most thrilling music of the year

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GIG REVIEW: Divine Comedy at the Barbican

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHERE?: Barbican RUNTIME: 60 minutes (no interval)

WHEN?: 14/10/20, new Barbican shows planned for 1-5/9/21 (ticket details below)

SETLIST: Absent Friends; Norman and Norma: National Express; Something For The Weekend; Songs Of Love; Your Daddy’s Car; To Die A Virgin; Becoming More Like Alfie; To The Rescue; A Lady Of A Certain Age; Charmed Life; Tonight We Fly; Our Mutual Friend

‘This has been f**king brilliant. I’ve loved it. Good for the soul,’ remarks Divine Comedy frontman Neil Hannon.  ‘Thank you – that’s the end of the tour.’

  • Read on for reasons including how to see them on tour next year

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THEATRE REVIEW: SIX reunion with Aimie Atkinson

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK?: ***

WHERE?: Oval Space RUNTIME: 60 minutes (no interval)

WHEN?: 10/10/20 (late show)

SIX is well-suited to being a socially distanced show because it is 75 minutes long without interval and its stars perform as a six-strong girl group with little interplay between each other.

  • Read on for reasons including how to see 3 of this cast in SIX from November

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THEATRE REVIEW: Night Cap with T’Shan Williams and Paul Taylor-Mills

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK?: ***

WHERE?: The Theatre Cafe RUNTIME: 25 minutes

WHEN?: Available 8/10/20 from 8pm until 15/10/20

SETLIST: He’s No Good (The Life),  Heartless (Prince Of Egypt), So Much Better (Legally Blonde)

Williams stars this weekend in Hair The Musical: An Outdoor Concert in Norwich and, if you can’t catch up with her there,  she takes part in the Theatre Cafe’s Night Cap series.

  • Read on for reasons including how to buy a ticket for this Night Cap event

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THEATRE REVIEW: The Last Five Years starring Oli Higginson and Molly Lynch at Southwark Playhouse

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHERE?: Southwark Playhouse RUNTIME: 90 minutes (no interval)

WHEN?: 6/10/20 (matinee), runs to 14/11/20

This production opened in March shortly before lockdown and has returned to this venue which has added Perspex screens between groups in the audience.

  • Read on for reasons including to watch two clips of songs from the show

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FILM REVIEW: The Boys In The Band starring Jim Parsons, Zachary Quinto & Matt Bomer

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK?: *****

OUT: from 30/9/20 on Netflix (certificate 15, running time 122 minutes)

Author Mart Crowley died in March before this film was released but did see its cast return to perform the play on Broadway on its 50th anniversary and later win a Tony for Best Revival.

  • Read on for reasons including how Parsons will no longer be typecast as Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory

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THEATRE REVIEW: Talking Heads starring Maxine Peake and Tamsin Greig at Bridge Theatre

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

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

WHERE?: Bridge Theatre

WHEN?: 1/10/20, season runs to 24/10/20. (Maxine Peake transfers with Imelda Staunton to Sheffield Theatres 9-11/11/20 and Leeds Playhouse 12-14/11/20)

Miss Fozzard is the funniest of the 2nd run of Talking Heads premiered on BBC1 in 1998 and here Peake makes the most of every line.

  • Read on for reasons including how Greig’s character is another of Bennett’s thwarted women

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GIG REVIEW: Cassidy Janson Tonight at the London Coliseum

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHERE?: London Coliseum

WHEN?: 2/10/20

SETLIST: I Feel The Earth Move; Tight Connection To My Heart; Here, There and Everywhere; Will You Love Me Tomorrow?; When A Woman; It’s Too Late; So Far Away; That’s The Way It Is; I’ll Never Love Again; Rain and Fire; You’ve Got A Friend; Beautiful; Natural Woman

Janson is shortlisted as Best Actress in a supporting role in a musical in the rescheduled Olivier Awards this month for her role as Anne Hathaway in Max Martin’s & Juliet.

  • Read on for reasons including the reasons behind some of the song choices in tonight’s set including 1 by Lady Gaga

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