WHEN? 7pm Saturday 10/3/18 on NRK (link at the bottom of the preview)
This year’s Norwegian selection includes a former Eurovision winner, a past entrant and the writer behind one of Scandinavia’s biggest groups of the 90s in its ranks.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHERE: Charing Cross Theatre
WHEN: 24/2, press night 26/2, runs to 31/3/18
How have we never managed to see the 1971 film of this life-affirming Colin Higgins play about a death-obsessed teenager and his chance meeting with a bohemian woman approaching her 80th birthday?
WHEN?: 7pm Saturday 3/3/18 on SVT (link to watch below)
WHERE?: Kristianstad
We’re very excited about the upcoming four duels that will see our eight-strong final become a dozen not least because some of our favourite songs compete again here.
WORTH A LOOK?: **
WHERE: Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith
WHEN: 23/2/18, tour runs to 26/8/18
SETLIST: Oh L’Amour; Ship Of Fools; Breathe; Mad As We Are; Just A Little Love; In My Arms; Chains Of Love; Sacred; Sweet Summer Loving; I Love Saturday; Victim Of Love; Phantom Bride; World Be Gone; Who Needs Love Like That; Take Me Out Of Myself; Blue Savannah; Atomic; Drama; Stop!; Love You To The Sky; Always; Here I Go Impossible Again; Sometimes; A Little Respect
WHEN?: 7pm (UK time) 24/2/18 on SVT (link at the bottom of the page below)
WHERE: Örnsköldsvik
Has this year’s been the worst Melodifestivalen ever?
WORTH A LOOK?: ****1/2
WHERE: IndigO2
WHEN: 19/2, on tour until 10/11/18 including 4 gigs at Wembley Stadium this summer
SETLIST: Castle On The Hill; Eraser; The A Team; Don’t; Dive; Bloodstream; Happier; Tenerife Sea; Galway Girl; Feeling Good; How Would You Feel?; Photograph; Perfect; Nancy Mulligan; Thinking Out Loud; Sing; Shape Of You; You Need Me, I Don’t Need You
An unforgettable gig is always about its details rather than its headlines.
Two highlights for us of last year were the National Theatre’s production of Angels In America by Tony Kushner and Sharon D. Clarke in musical The Life at Southwark Playhouse. This year D. Clarke is in Kushner’s musical Caroline, Or Change set in Louisiana in 1963 which runs 12/3 to 21/4 at Hampstead Theatre. Transferred from Chichester’s Festival Theatre. Tickets
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHERE: Donmar Theatre
WHEN: 16/2, runs to 24/3/18
There’s a moment towards the end of the first act here when farmhand George remarks on the twinkle in the eye of the object of his affection, assistant director John.
WHEN?: 7pm (UK time) 17/2/18 on SVT (link at the bottom of the page below)
WHERE: Malmo
Melodifestivalen couldn’t be more split along gender lines with four male acts in the final and four female soloists in Andra Chansen – but we’re hopeful one of Dotter or Jessica Andersson will be going straight to the Friends Arena in Stockholm this weekend.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHERE: Union Chapel, supporting Billy Lockett
WHEN: 15/2/18
SETLIST: Shoot Me Down; Blood Diamonds; Plastic; Pretty Boy; Paper Crown; Psycho; Bad and Beautiful; Black Dahlia
‘Does anyone here know a Pretty Boy?’ Our new favourite singer is about to launch into her best song in the atmospheric surroundings of Islington’s Union Chapel.
