WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHERE: Royal Court Theatre
WHEN: 9/4, press night 13/4 runs to 19/5/18
Hari and Max are mourning the loss of their son but have found a novel coping mechanism, they are going to build a flat-pack replacement of him.
WHEN?: 10/5/18
WHERE?: Altice Arena, Lisbon, Portugal
Semi 1 is the appetiser for a much stronger semi 2 where we find the first three of four potential winners.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHERE: Dominion Theatre
WHEN: 6/4, press night 19/4, runs to 28/7/18
We’d do anything for our love of musical theatre but, given we’re no great fans of Meatloaf, would we do that – and enjoy new Jim Steinman musical Bat Out Of Hell?
Our favourite venue marks its bicentenary with events around the 11/5/18 weekend including an open house, street party, variety night headlined by the Olivier Award-nominated Atim, who starred in Girl From The North Country here last year, and ball. We shortlisted Atim for our 2016 monsta for Best Theatre Actress for her star turn in the all-women Shakespeare Trilogy and she won our 2017 Best Performance Of A Song (see below). We’ve loved how Matthew Warchus has transformed the OV with an emphasis on gig theatre, family entertainment and work with messages. Tickets
WHEN?: 8/5/18
WHERE?: Altice Arena, Lisbon, Portugal
Fan theories would have it that this is the more difficult of the two semis but we’re not so sure. This is where our favourite sings (Finland’s Saara Aalto pictured above) and the UK votes.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHERE: Empire Cinema Haymarket
WHEN: 1/4 (matinee) runs to 2/9/18
The setting is England in 1938 and members of the cast dressed as ushers and usherettes meet us in the foyer of this cinema venue to serenade us to our seats.
WORTH A LOOK?: *****
WHERE: Piccadilly Theatre
WHEN: 31/3, press night 24/4, runs to 21/7/18
The biggest compliment we can pay this West End production of the 1992 Baz Luhrmann-directed film is that we return to see it in a fortnight – and we couldn’t be more excited to do so.
WORTH A LOOK?: **
WHERE: Donmar
WHEN: 30/3, press night 3/4, runs to 26/5/18
We’re here for the casting of Linda Bassett, reviewed on this site in Escaped Alone at the Royal Court, as matriarch Lady Wishfort but she is replaced before previews begin.
WORTH A LOOK?: *
WHERE: Lounge at Leicester Square Theatre
WHEN: (Press ticket) 29/3 runs to 14/4/18
There can be no better time to launch an hour-long monologue written and performed by a woman and encompassing such weighty themes as relationships and mental health.
UPDATE: Misty transfers to Trafalgar Studios 8/9 to 17/10 Tickets
WORTH A LOOK?: *****
WHERE: Bush Theatre
WHEN: (Press ticket) 26/3 runs to 21/4/18, now extended to 27/4
Arinzé Kene starred with Russell Tovey in our favourite film of 2016, gay footballer storyThe Pass.
