REVIEW

Best read monstagigz content of 2024 starring Sigourney Weaver in The Tempest

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

  1. Sigourney Weaver’s West End debut in Jamie Lloyd’s The Tempest

Our most read content of 2024 was this preview review of the West End debut of Alien star Weaver in Jamie Lloyd’s take on Shakespeare’s The Tempest which runs at Theatre Royal Drury Lane until 1 February 2025. Tickets

  • Read on for reasons including Sheridan Smith, Steve Coogan’s Dr Strangelove and Michael Sheen’s Nye

2. Sheridan Smith in Rufus Wainwright’s Opening Night

Smith’s turn as The Narrator in Joseph helped it become our best read content of 2019 and here she starred in Rufus Wainwright’s new musical Opening Night at the Gielgud Theatre in March of which we said: ‘Our main problem with Opening Night is its lack of memorable songs allowing its star to let loose in doing what she does best which is to sing impressively and make her audience feel the emotions she is going through.’ 

3. Steve Coogan is Dr Strangelove at the Noel Coward Theatre

Coogan’s take on the theatrical version of a beloved film starring Peter Sellers runs through 25 January 2025 in London’s West End and we said of it: ‘We thought Matthew Warchus’ not-for-everyone recent take on Juno And The Paycock was the West End’s current funniest comedy but Coogan’s energetic and sidesplitting brilliance just changed our mind. Dr Strangelove? Not strange at all – and we loved it to bits.’ Tickets Vote for Coogan to win our Best Theatre Actor monsta and Dr Strangelove to win Best Revival.

4. Michael Sheen is Nye at the National

Sheen returns to the National Theatre in 2025 to star once more in this life story of NHS creator Nye Bevan and we said of it: ‘Like the outstanding Dear England, this is an example of a venue at the top of its game doing exactly what it should be doing in offering insight into stories of those who have shaped our country and influenced the people we have become.’ Tickets Vote for Nye to win our Best New Play monsta.

5. Imelda Staunton in Hello Dolly! at the London Palladium

The 1st of 2 Palladium shows in our top 10, Staunton played the titular Dolly Gallagher Levi in this revival of a classic musical and we said of it: ‘This is a solid if not quite yet spectacular revival of a much-loved show which is a little dated but boasts a strong performance from theatrical royalty at its heart.’

6. Mark Rylance in Juno And The Paycock

Vote for J. Smith-Cameron to win our Best Theatre Actress monsta and Aisling Kearns Best Theatre Supporting Actress monsta. We said of the production at the Gielgud Theatre: ‘Juno and the Paycock is arguably the funniest comedy in London’s West End right now with tragedy never too far behind and this is exquisitely cast with a very memorable central performance by Rylance at its heart.’

7. Cabaret starring Jake Shears & Rebecca Lucy Taylor

This was our best read content of 2023 deposing the number 1 here on the very last day of the year. Very unusual to have a review make our best read annual list 2 years in a row but is perhaps testament to renewed interest in Shears as his band Scissor Sisters reform in 2025. Shears and Taylor are no longer in Cabaret and we said of them: ‘Cabaret may have been usurped in our affections as London’s best revival by Guys and Dolls at the Bridge Theatre and the sadly now closed  La Cage Aux Folles at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, but this casting of 2 of our favourite pop stars has captured our attention and their performances are well worthy of yours.’

8. Elton John musical The Devil Wears Prada

Prada wasn’t met with much love from critics but we had a ball at the Dominion Theatre and you can vote for Prada to win our Best New Musical monsta. We said of it: ‘The whooping audience was having a riot on a Tuesday night in a sea of leopard print and Prosecco. And that was just the gays. Ourselves included.’ Tickets

9. London Palladium pantomime Robin Hood

Jane McDonald stars alongside Julian Clary, Marisha Wallace and Charlie Stemp in this annual festive extravaganza and we said of it: ‘There’s no excuse for theatregoers not to buy a ticket for this absolute sensation of a Christmas show and if television programmers want something people might actually choose to watch in their schedules this is what Morecambe and Wise would do.’ Tickets

10. The Real Thing at the Old Vic

We didn’t much enjoy Max Webster’s take on this Tom Stoppard classic and said of it: ‘Stoppard’s The Real Thing has won numerous awards including 2 Tonys since its 1st bow and has included Felicity Kendal (Anything Goes, Barbican), Glenn Close (Sunset Boulevard, Coliseum) and Ewan McGregor (T2 Trainspotting) in its casts although for us it felt occasionally funny while horrifically self-indulgent as the author gazed no further than a variety of women’s navels.’

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