Second album Melodrama out on Friday is our favourite of 2017 so far. Writer In The Dark is pure Kate Bush, Perfect Places where we’d love Robyn to go and the lyrics are as brimful of character (she’s 19 and she’s on fire) as the likes of Green Light and Supercut are dancefloor friendly.
WORTH A LOOK: *****
WHERE: Almeida Theatre
WHEN: 19/6, press night 27/6, runs to 5/8
Star Bertie Carvel’s father John worked on the Guardian for 36 years before retiring in 2009.
WORTH A LOOK: *****
WHERE: Wyndham’s Theatre
WHEN: 17/6, press night 27/6, runs to 9/9
SETLIST: I Wonder Where Our Love Has Gone; When A Woman Loves A Man; Crazy He Calls Me; Gimme A Bigfoot (And a Bottle of Beer); Baby Doll; God Bless The Child; Foolin’ Myself; Somebody’s On My Mind; Easy Livin’; Strange Fruit; Blues Break; T’ain’t Nobody’s Business If I Do; Don’t Explain; What A Little Moonlight Can Do; Deep Song
It’s March 1959 and Billie Holiday is singing in South Philadelphia at the titular run-down bar in one of her last performances before her death just four months later.
WORTH A LOOK?: ***
WHERE: Royal Albert Hall
WHEN: 16/6
SETLIST: Queen Of Swords; Seasons Of Love; Don’t Rain On My Parade; Everybody Knows; Cake/Black Dog; I’m Not That Girl; Wind Beneath My Wings; Defying Gravity; I Do; Bridge Over Troubled Water; Rock Steady; No Day But Today; Dear Prudence/Do You Want To Build A Snowman?; For Good; Let It Go; I See You; Ev’ry Time I Say Goodbye
We’ve been working away in Liverpool and it’s taken us four hours to travel several hundred miles to make it here with a rucksack shortly after curtain up.
We awarded 12 monstas for the best pop, theatre, TV and film of 2016 in December – and here we look at the cream of 2017 so far and what’s to come. Funny Girl and Groundhog Day are previous winners in this category.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****1/2
WHERE: Old Vic
WHEN: 9/6, runs to 17/6
‘Gig theatre’ is the term used to describe this 70-minute show currently running on the same stage as John Boyega’s Woyzeck just half an hour after its curtain down.
We awarded 12 monstas for the best pop, theatre, TV and film of 2016 in December – and here we look at the cream of 2017 so far and what’s to come. James McAvoy and George Mackay are previous winners in this category.
BY: Carron Stacey
WHERE?: London Stadium
WHEN: 3/6
Two admissions – I’m a fair weather Moder, preferring the older pop stuff, my allegiance culminating circa Enjoy the Silence, with Everything Counts as my ultimate favourite.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHERE: Dorfman Theatre, National
WHEN: 3/6, press night 7/6 runs to 18/7
Barber Shop Chronicles is an ambitious and fun 105-minute play without interval set in barber shops in London, Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
WORTH A LOOK?: *****
OUT: now
TRACKLIST: The Reunion; Something New; Magpie Eyes; Whyteleafe; Dive; Church Pew Furniture Restorer; Take It All In; Popmaster; Underneath The Apple Tree; Out Of My Mind; After Hebden; Breakneck Hill; Heather; Sports Report; Train Drivers In Eyeliner; Unopened Fanmail; What Kind Of World; Sweet Arcadia; Angel Of Woodhatch
Saint Etienne are now out on tour, we’ve had a look at a recent setlist and are disappointed that only five songs from this impressive collection made it to their current live shows.
