- UK has a shot at Eurovision
43 countries, two semis and a final: 14/5. The bookies have the UK’s Joe and Jake 27th as we write this but we’ve heard all the entries and think You’re Not Alone has a shot at winning particularly with an EU referendum 23/6. Our dark horse is Croatia’s Nina Kraljić (main picture and below) who’s channelling Hounds Of Love-era Kate Bush:
- Read on for reasons including Cyndi Lauper, Aladdin and The Threepenny Opera
2. Rory Kinnear returns to the National
Kinnear won a well-deserved best actor Olivier for his Iago at the National in 2014 in Shakespeare’s Othello. We gave the Young Vic’s production of Kafka’s The Trial in which he starred last year 5* but it divided critics. He’s back at the National in May in Brecht and Weill’s Threepenny Opera. Picture via Facebook courtesy National. Tickets here. Runs 18/5 -1/9.
3. Cyndi Lauper goes country
Lauper’s album of country covers Detour is out 6/5. Above is her turn with Michael Ball at the Oliviers where her musical Kinky Boots won big. She’s touring the UK this summer including pitstops at Glastonbury and the Eventim Apollo Hammersmith.
4. West End magic carpet ride
Starring Dean John Wilson (Miss Atomic Bomb) and Jade Ewen (In The Heights), this Disney Broadway hit takes over from Miss Saigon at the Prince Edward Theatre from 27/5 to 1/10. Tickets here.
5. Branagh tees up Romeo and Juliet
We’re not seeing this until July but Sir Ian McKellen has whetted our appetite (check out this website Thursday for the exclusive) and as he’s BFFs with co-star Derek Jacobi we’re guessing he might be in the know. Cinderella‘s Lily James and Game Of Thrones’ Richard Madden star. Tickets here. Runs 12/5-13/8.
6. Mark Kermode answers your questions
We’ve been to each of these monthly BFI events since they began in January with the nation’s favourite film critic and they’ve proved consistently entertaining. Last month director Ben Wheatley explained his latest film High-Rise starring Tom Hiddleston. The month before Sanjeev Bhaskar talked about his love for underrated Elvis films. Tickets here.
7. The Spoils
Hollywood star Jesse Eisenberg wrote and stars in this play at Trafalgar Studios with Big Bang Theory‘s Kunal Nayyar. We can’t tell you how hot the Jamie Lloyd Company is right now after The Maids and Doctor Faustus. Runs 27/5 to 13/8. Tickets here.
8. Spiral
A night of six short plays by up and coming writers, directors and actors at Theatre N16, The Bedford, Balham, south-west London. Tickets here. We might have gone to school with one of them. Buy us a drink on the night and we’ll tell you which one. Clue.
- Main image via Facebook courtesy Nina Kraljić.
- Enjoyed this preview? Follow its author on Twitter @NeilDurham
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