We awarded 14 monstas for the best pop, theatre, TV and film of 2018 in December – and here we look at the cream of 2019 so far and what’s to come. Amy, The Pass, God’s Own Country and The Happy Prince are previous winners in this category.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHERE? Royal Court RUNTIME: 140 minutes (including 20-minute interval)
WHEN? 4/10, closes 12/10/19
This venue thrives on its reputation as ‘the writers’ theatre’ and the author of these four short plays with single-word titles is 81-year-old Caryl Churchill.
WORTH A LOOK?: ***
WHERE? Dominion Theatre RUNTIME: 160 minutes (including 20-minute interval)
WHEN? 2/10, closes 2/11/19
Fans of TV’s Strictly Come Dancing are especially well served here by a former winner of the Saturday night ratings hit as the leading man and a finalist as his leading lady.
We awarded 14 monstas for the best pop, theatre, TV and film of 2018 in December – and here we look at the cream of 2019 so far and what’s to come. Florence and The Machine’s How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful, Lady Gaga’s Joanne, Lorde’s Melodrama and Saara Aalto’s Wild, Wild Wonderland are previous winners in this category.
WORTH A LOOK?: *****
WHERE? Greenwich Theatre RUNTIME: 130 minutes (including 20-minute interval)
WHEN? press night 30/9, closes 19/10/19 (press ticket)
‘When you change someone’s life, you change your own’, is the sentiment of this European premiere of a show which breaks your heart before helping you to piece it back together again, beautifully.
This unlikely reunion may have been over a quarter of a century in the making but Siobhan Fahey and Marcella Detroit have released three excellent, different yet complementary singles this year already, winning both our Song and Albums of the month. The 14-date UK reunion tour kicks off rather appropriately on Halloween and we join the band at the Palladium on Bonfire Night. Tickets
We’ve been visiting Barcelona regularly since the turn of the century, have owned a flat off Las Ramblas in Raval for the last 15 years and here is our guide to the top 5 must-visit restaurants and bars in this city we love.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
OUT: now
TRACKLIST: Next Level Charli; Gone (with Christine and the Queens); Cross You Out (ft Sky Ferreira); 1999 (with Troye Sivan); Click (ft Kim Petras and Tommy Cash); Warm (ft Haim); Thoughts; Blame It On Your Love (ft Lizzo); White Mercedes; Silver Cross; I Don’t Wanna Know; Official; Shake It (ft Big Freedia, Cupcakke,Brooke Candy & Pabilo Vittar); February 2017 (ft Clairo & Yaeji); 2099 (ft Troye Sivan)
Charli XCX is arguably best known for a song she wrote for Icona Pop (I Love It was a UK chart topper and a US top 10 in 2012) and a feature with co-write on Iggy Azalea’s US number 1 Fancy two years later.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHERE? Underbelly Festival RUNTIME: 70 minutes
WHEN? 19/9/19
Cheryl Hole (pictured centre above) thinks Gals Aloud are more likely to be performing together to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the formation of Girls Aloud in 2022 than the actual group.
By Neil Pugmire
WHERE? Hyde Park (press ticket)
WHEN? 15/9/19
If you had to choose the perfect headliners for a Radio 2 festival, it might be the Pet Shop Boys. Famous for matching intelligent lyrics with irresistible synth-pop hooks, and with a 30-year back catalogue to plunder, they could easily entertain thousands of 30 to 50-somethings gathered in Hyde Park on a balmy Sunday evening.
