1. Oedipus starring Mark Strong and Lesley Manville

Director Robert Icke gave us Oresteia (Almeida Theatre) and reimagines another Ancient Greek tragedy starring Mark Strong and Lesley Manville (Talking Heads, Bridge Theatre and film Back To Black) at the Wyndham’s Theatre 4 October through 4 January 2024. Tickets Our review

• Read on for reasons including Steve Coogan in Dr Strangelove, Mark Rylance & Lady Gaga

2. Steve Coogan stars in Dr Strangelove

Coogan plays multiple roles in this production penned by Armando Iannucci (Pandemonium, Soho Theatre) based on Stanley Kubrick’s classic which runs at the Noel Coward Theatre 8 October through 25 January 2024. Tickets Our review

3. Mark Rylance in Juno and The Paycock

Rylance won our Best Theatre Actor monsta in 2022 for his return to Jerusalem at the Apollo Theatre. Old Vic artistic director Matthew Warchus helms this production of the self-professed ‘Irish masterpiece’ by Sean O’Casey which runs at the Gielgud Theatre 21 September through 23 November 2024. Tickets Our review

4. Lady Gaga plays her Joker

Joker: Folie à Deux is the follow up to 2019’s double Oscar winner Joker with multiple monsta winner Lady Gaga joining the party as Joker’s musical therapist Harley Quinn in a film set 2 years after the original. Released 4 October 2024 in the UK. Our review

5. Emma Rice’s Buddah Of Suburbia

We’ve long been admirers of Rice’s work (Brief Encounter, Empire Cinema, Haymarket) and here she turns her attentions to a stage adaptation of Hanif Kureishi’s acclaimed novel of The Buddha Of Suburbia about 17-year-old Karim’s life in late 70s south London. Runs at the Barbican 22 October through 16 November 2024. Tickets Our review

6. Alison Moyet’s Key

Key is the title of Moyet’s 10th studio album which includes reworkings of 16 of her solo songs including both singles and deep cuts released 4 October 2024. The UK leg of a 2025 world tour including a Palladium gig has already sold out in its entirety as we write. Tickets We last saw her live at the Palladium in 2017. Why Key is our album of the month. Review

7. Face In The Crowd at the Young Vic

Directed by this venue’s outgoing artistic director Kwame Kwei-Armah, this story of a radio producer who gives a drifter a slot on her show includes music and lyrics by Elvis Costello (Cold War, Almeida) and runs at the Young Vic through 9 November 2024 with a cast including Ramin Karimloo (Murder Ballad, Arts Theatre). Tickets

8. Heartstopper 3 and Kit Connor on Broadway

Season 3 of the brilliant monsta-winning and beloved young adult coming-of-age drama penned by Alice Oseman drops on Netflix 3 October. 1 of its stars, Kit Connor, performs as Romeo in Romeo + Juliet on Broadway opposite Rachel Zegler (film West Side Story) Previews begin 26 September 2024 at the Circle In The Square Theatre for a 20-week run with music by the stellar Jack Antonoff. Tickets

9. Keala Settle at Southwark Playhouse

We last saw Settle in & Juliet at Shaftesbury Theatre and here The Greatest Showman actress stars in a new musical about navigating grief as Malia tries to make sense of her life following her mother’s terminal cancer diagnosis in Fly More Than You Fall. Runs at The Elephant venue 18 October through 23 November 2024. Tickets

• Main pictures via Facebook courtesy Oedipus and DMT Tickets
• Have you seen a Mark Strong show before and what did you think of this 1? Let us know what you thought in the comments below
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