We awarded 13 monstas for the best pop, theatre, TV and film of 2017 in December – and here we look at the cream of 2018 so far and what’s to come. James McAvoy, George Mackay and Andrew Scott are previous winners in this category.

• Read on for our top 6 best theatre actors of 2018 so far and our hopes for the next half year

Sion Daniel Young (Nightfall, Bridge Theatre)

We first caught Young in Curious Incident and here he played a son struggling to run his father’s Hampshire farm while being caught under the spell of his sister’s ex-boyfriend.

Arinze Kene (Misty, Bush Theatre) Review Tickets

We said: ‘Kene also proves what a physical performer he can be as orange balloons figure massively in his story, at one stage even engulfing him.’ Transfers to Trafalgar Studios 8/9 to 20/9/18.

Colin Morgan (Translations, National Theatre) Review Tickets Runs to 11/8

We said: ‘Morgan is impish and likeable as Owen who has found success by leaving his home but is bringing tragedy to it as he accompanies the English soldiers with their work.’

Andrew Scott (Sea Wall, Old Vic) Review

We said: ‘His cheery demeanour – at one point the audience is encouraged to shout out the word ‘scrubs’ – means that when the darkness and pain pours out that the switch in tone is all the more devastating.’

Kyle Soller (The Inheritance, Young Vic) Review Tickets

We said: ‘We meet Eric Glass (Kyle Soller, the emotional centrepoint of the piece) who proposes to his vain author boyfriend Toby Darling (Andrew Burnap, convincingly shallow, infuriating and with a devastating backstory) during sex.’

Aidan Turner (The Lieutenant Of Inishmore, Noel Coward Theatre) Review Tickets

We said: ‘Poldark fans might be disappointed to learn that he remains with shirt throughout the play but his performance is electric, in the running for our Best Theatre Actor monsta, and brimming with the charisma required to convince as a thug propelled by flawed logic.’

On our radar for the next 6 months are Mark Rylance (Othello, Globe) Tickets; Iwan Rheon (Foxfinder, Ambassadors) Tickets; Jack Lowden (Measure For Measure, Donmar) Tickets; Christopher Ecclestone (Macbeth, Barbican) Tickets

• Picture via Facebook courtesy Delfont Mackintosh.
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