1. Lady Gaga brings Joanne to The O2

Postponed from October due to health reasons, the world’s greatest pop star drops by for two nights at The 02 this month. Her last album Joanne won our monsta for Best Album in 2016. Tickets Her new film A Star Is Born is out in May.

• Read on for reasons including Jonathan Bailey, Patsy Ferran and John Partridge

2. Kikki does Melodifestivalen

The greatest show on earth returns with a first heat from Karlstad on 3/2/18. Back is Kikki Danielsson (pictured right above) who competed twice in Eurovision in the 80s (8th in ’82 and 3rd in ’85 with Bra Vibrationer). More recently her MF returns have been schlager glorious.

3. Dr Foster gets Frozen

BAFTA winner Suranne Jones, who played the title role in Mike Bartlett’s Doctor Foster for BBC1, stars as a mother whose child is missing opposite Jason Watkins and Nina Sosanya (who we last reviewed in Elegy at the Donmar) Runs at the Theatre Royal Haymarket 9/2 to 5/5/18. We last saw Jones on stage at this venue in 2005 opposite Rob Lowe and John Barrowman in A Few Good Men. Tickets

4. The York Realist stars Jonathan Bailey and Ben Batt

We last saw Ben Batt in Woyzeck (pictured left above) at the Old Vic and Jonathan Bailey in King Lear at Chichester Festival Theatre, both reviewed on this site. Here they star together in an unlikely love story written by Peter Gill that crosses classes. Runs 8/2 to 24/3 at the Donmar. Picture via Facebook courtesy Donmar. Tickets

5. Patsy Ferran in Summer and Smoke

Patsy Ferran is one of our favourite young actresses and we’ve already seen her once this year, in My Mum’s A Twat at the Royal Court. Here she stars in one of Tennessee Williams’ lesser known works at the Almeida 24/2 to 7/4. Tickets

6. John Partridge is Stripped at the Other Palace

Two intimate shows at the Other Palace for this musical theatre star who surprised us with his range in a production of La Cage Aux Folles last year, was nominated for a Best Theatre Actor monsta and reintroduces himself here. Tickets

7. Erasure play Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith

Erasure tour Europe in the first three months of this year in support of their 17th album World Be Gone. Gigs include the Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith in February. Tickets

8. Eurovision: You Decide

Swedish Eurovision winner Måns Zelmerlöw co-hosts this UK Eurovision selection show from the Brighton Dome, where ABBA won in 1974 with Waterloo, on 7/2. They’ll be roping in expertise from greatest show on earth and Swedish Eurovision selection show Melodifestivalen next – oh they already have for the first time this year. Tickets

9. The B*easts at the Bush

There’s some interesting original writing showcased at the Bush Theatre, Shepherd’s Bush, this year and we’re looking forward to this penned by Monica Dolan, from W1A and Inside No 9. Runs 12/2 to 3/3/18. Tickets

• Picture via Facebook courtesy Lady Gaga.
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