WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHERE? Shaftesbury Theatre
WHEN? 9/11, opens 20/11, runs to 30/5/20
Swede Max Martin is the third most successful songwriter in US chart history with credits on 22 number 1 singles behind only Beatles Paul McCartney and John Lennon.
WORTH A LOOK?: *****
WHERE? Hoxton Hall
WHEN? 9/11/19
SETLIST: Glow; Glorious; We Got Love; Yours: Bones; Young; Glitterball; This Is Real; Friends; Brave; Ghost
Ella Henderson is at the piano introducing new song Bones reflecting on seeing a large backside in a magazine and realising it was her own.
WORTH A LOOK?: ***1/2
WHERE? Eventim Apollo
WHEN? 4/11, tour runs to 18/11/19
SETLIST: Handmade Heaven; Hollywood; Primadonna; Enjoy Your Life; I Am Not A Robot; To Be Human; Superstar; From; Orange Trees; Teen Idle; Believe In Love; Bubblegum Bitch; Emotional Machine; I’m Not Hungry Anymore; No More Suckers; Karma; Oh No; Baby: End Of the Earth; How To Be A Heartbreaker
We last saw Marina at a Q&A in London in April where she talked about her artistic freedom and so we’re not entirely surprised when at the close of tonight’s gig she drops a bombshell.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****1/2
WHERE? London Palladium
WHEN? 5/11, tour runs to 20/11/19
SETLIST: Goodbye Cruel World; Heroine; Dangerous Game; Dirty Mind; My 16th Apology; Heaven Is In Your Arms; The Trouble With Andre; Emotional Thing; C U Next Tuesday; Time To Say Goodbye; All The Queen’s Horses; When She Finds You; Black Sky; Stay; Are We In Love Yet?: I Don’t Care; You’re History; Catwoman; Hello (Turn Your Radio On)
Shakespears Sister are a band of extraordinary peculiarities not least, as lead singer Siobhan Fahey points out, that their final song tonight is titled Hello (while the opener was Goodbye Cruel World).
WORTH A LOOK?: ***
WHERE? Park Theatre RUNTIME: 140 minutes (with a 20-minute interval)
WHEN? 2/11, press night 5/11, runs to 30/11/19
Star Miriam Margolyes may be playing a woman who is housebound and sits predominantly in a wheelchair here but she has a hugely expressive face which leaves us in no doubt about what she is thinking.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHERE? The O2
WHEN? 1/11, tour runs to 22/11/19
SETLIST: Salute; Power; Woman Like Me; Wasabi; Bounce Back; Only You; Black Magic; Strip; Told You So; Secret Love Song Pt II; The Cure; Joan Of Arc; Wings; Shout Out To My Ex; Woman’s World; Reggaeton; No More Sad Songs; Think About Us; Heartbeat; More Than Words; Touch
There’s a beautiful moment during this arena gig with an audience heavy on parents and young children where Little Mix celebrate their LGBT fans and have some words of hope and encouragement for those with mental health worries.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHERE? O2 Brixton Academy
WHEN? 31/10, tour runs to 28/11/19
SETLIST: Next Level Charli; Click; I Don’t Wanna Know; Vroom Vroom; Gone; Cross You Out; Warm; February 2017; Thoughts; White Mercedes; Official; Shake It; I Got It; Blame It On Your Love; Silver Cross; 2099; Unlock It; I Love It; Boys; 1999
It’s the encore of this sell-out show and its star (pictured above) is in tears reflecting on the success of her biggest London gig to date and making the transition from writing radio hits to songs she fronts that better represent her.
McAvoy won our inaugural Best Theatre Actor monsta in 2015 for The Ruling Class and reunites with director Jamie Lloyd for this take on Cyrano de Bergerac running at the Playhouse 27/11 through 29/2/20. Tickets McAvoy also stars in BBC1’s His Dark Materials from 3/11/19 and you can read our Q&A with cast and author.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
OUT: now
It would be fair to say we were surprised that sophomore Years & Years album Palo Santo was released last year without this track.
WORTH A LOOK?: **1/2
WHERE? Dorfman Theatre, National RUNTIME: 110 minutes without interval
WHEN? 26/10 (matinee), press night 30/10, runs to 23/11/19
We’re at this preview of Annie Baker’s new play set in what appears to be a present-day US writers’ room because it has a mouthwatering ensemble cast.
