Author: mrmonstagigz

THEATRE REVIEW: The Night Of the Iguana starring Clive Owen, Lia Williams & Anna Gunn

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66581933_332753144329528_2423407581344038912_oWORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHERE? Noel Coward Theatre RUNTIME: 180 minutes (with a 20-minute interval)

WHEN? 6/7, opens 16/7 runs to 28/9/19

Two years ago the West End revival of Tennessee Williams’ Cat On A Hot Tin Roof was so scorching it very much needed its onstage shower and so we approached this 1st preview with high hopes on the day that up to 1.5 million people were on the streets of London for this year’s Pride celebrations.

  • Read on for reasons including how Breaking Bad‘s Anna Gunn is most memorable here

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THEATRE REVIEW: Dark Sublime starring Marina Sirtis at Trafalgar Studios 2

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WORTH A LOOK?: ***

WHERE? RUNTIME: 160 minutes (including 20-minute interval) (press ticket)

WHEN? 4/7 (matinee) runs to 3/8/19

Sirtis is best known for appearing as Counselor Deanna Troi in Star Trek: The Next Generation until 2002 and so her starring role here, as a former sci-fi actress tracked down by a fan, is a casting triumph as well as being a brave role for her to play.

  • Read on for reasons including how Mark Gatiss appears during this original play

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THEATRE REVIEW: Peter Gynt starring James McCardle at the National Theatre

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WORTH A LOOK?: ***

WHERE? National Theatre  RUNTIME: 215 minutes (including 2 intervals)

WHEN? 3/7, opens 9/7 and runs to 8/10/19

Peter Gynt is David Hare’s Scottish update of Henrik Ibsen’s 1867 play Peer Gynt which draws on a Norwegian fairy tale to examine the value of his hero’s life as we join him on his journey through it.

  • Read on for reasons including why this marathon musical version of Peer Gynt fails to grip

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GIG REVIEW: Janelle Monae & Grace Carter at SSE Wembley Arena

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WORTH A LOOK?: *****

WHERE? SSE Wembley Arena

WHEN? 2/7/19

SETLIST: Dirty Computer; Crazy, Classic Life; Take A Byte; Screwed; Django Jane; QUEEN; Electric Lady; Prime Time; Pynk; Yoga; I Like That; Don’t Judge Me; Make Me Feel; I Got The Juice; Cold War; Tightrope; Come Alive

We are standing towards the back of this 12,500-capacity venue by the mixing desk when we see Lupita Nyong’o wearing sunglasses flanked by security guards rush by.

  • Read on for reasons including what part Star Wars actress Nyong’o played at this gig

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THEATRE REVIEW: On Your Feet at the London Coliseum

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WORTH A LOOK?: ***

WHERE? London Coliseum RUNTIME: 2 hours and 30 minutes (with 20-minute interval)

WHEN? 27/6/19 (matinee), opened 27/6, booking to 31/8/2019

Summer is most definitely with us and this musical of the lives of Gloria and Emilio Estefan featuring their Miami Sound Machine hits might struggle in any other climate.

  • Read on for reasons including how the audience were less on their feet than on their seats

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GIG REVIEW: P!nk at Wembley Stadium

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WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHERE? Wembley Stadium

WHEN? 30/6, tour runs to 2/11/19

SETLIST: Get The Party Started; Beautiful Trauma; Just Like A Pill; Who Knew; Funhouse; Hustle; Secrets; Forest; Try; Just Give Me A Reason; River; Just Like A Fire; What About Us; For Now; 90 Days; Time After Time; Walk Me Home: I Am Here; F**kin’ Perfect; Raise Your Glass; Blow Me (One Last Kiss); Can We Pretend; So What; Glitter In The Air

We marvelled at the acrobatics of the cast in the Bridge Theatre’s production of `A Midsummer Night’s Dream recently but US pop star P!nk takes those skills to the next level here (see picture above).

  • Read on for reasons including which Cyndi Lauper song she covers to great effect here

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THEATRE REVIEW: Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat starring Sheridan Smith & Jason Donovan at the Palladium

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65755422_10157401425065600_8792737424389177344_o.jpgWORTH A LOOK?: ***

WHERE? London Palladium RUNTIME: 120 minutes (including 20-minute interval)

WHEN? 29/6, opens 11/7, booking to 8/9/19

We know we’re in safe hands when the always reliable Sheridan Smith channels Eric Morecambe from behind a fake moustache, confiding to the audience: ‘It’s still me.’

  • Read on for reasons including why Yarrow gets the biggest applause here

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GIG REVIEW: Alphabeat at Oslo, Hackney

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WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHERE? Oslo, Hackney

WHEN? 28/6/19

SETLIST: 10,000 Nights; Fantastic Six; Vacation; Love Sea; Always Up; Boyfriend; What’s Happening; Goldmine; Shadows; Go Go; The Spell; DJ; TMTU; Sing A Song; Heat Wave; Fascination

The afternoon on the day before this gig we discover that its venue has changed from the Borderline in Soho to this upstairs venue at a Scandinavian-named site miles across town in east London.

  • Read on for reasons including what the future holds for Alphabeat

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THEATRE REVIEW: The End Of History starring David Morrissey, Lesley Sharp, Kate O’Flynn & Sam Swainsbury at the Royal Court

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK?: *****

WHERE? RUNTIME: 110 minutes (no interval)

WHEN? 27/6, opens 3/7 runs to 10/8/19

Playwright Jack Thorne won an Olivier for Harry Potter And The Cursed Child but is probably better known for his BAFTA-winning Channel 4 dramas including This Is England and National Treasure.

  • Read on for reasons including how this is the best new play of the year so far

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