WHEN?: 7pm (UK time) 24/2/18 on SVT (link at the bottom of the page below)
WHERE: Örnsköldsvik
Has this year’s been the worst Melodifestivalen ever?
WORTH A LOOK?: ****1/2
WHERE: IndigO2
WHEN: 19/2, on tour until 10/11/18 including 4 gigs at Wembley Stadium this summer
SETLIST: Castle On The Hill; Eraser; The A Team; Don’t; Dive; Bloodstream; Happier; Tenerife Sea; Galway Girl; Feeling Good; How Would You Feel?; Photograph; Perfect; Nancy Mulligan; Thinking Out Loud; Sing; Shape Of You; You Need Me, I Don’t Need You
An unforgettable gig is always about its details rather than its headlines.
Two highlights for us of last year were the National Theatre’s production of Angels In America by Tony Kushner and Sharon D. Clarke in musical The Life at Southwark Playhouse. This year D. Clarke is in Kushner’s musical Caroline, Or Change set in Louisiana in 1963 which runs 12/3 to 21/4 at Hampstead Theatre. Transferred from Chichester’s Festival Theatre. Tickets
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHERE: Donmar Theatre
WHEN: 16/2, runs to 24/3/18
There’s a moment towards the end of the first act here when farmhand George remarks on the twinkle in the eye of the object of his affection, assistant director John.
WHEN?: 7pm (UK time) 17/2/18 on SVT (link at the bottom of the page below)
WHERE: Malmo
Melodifestivalen couldn’t be more split along gender lines with four male acts in the final and four female soloists in Andra Chansen – but we’re hopeful one of Dotter or Jessica Andersson will be going straight to the Friends Arena in Stockholm this weekend.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHERE: Union Chapel, supporting Billy Lockett
WHEN: 15/2/18
SETLIST: Shoot Me Down; Blood Diamonds; Plastic; Pretty Boy; Paper Crown; Psycho; Bad and Beautiful; Black Dahlia
‘Does anyone here know a Pretty Boy?’ Our new favourite singer is about to launch into her best song in the atmospheric surroundings of Islington’s Union Chapel.
WORTH A LOOK?: *****
WHERE: Bush Theatre
WHEN: 13/2, runs to 3/3/18
Monica Dolan is perhaps best known for her roles in material as diverse as W1A, Inside No 9 and her BAFTA Award-winning turn in Appropriate Adult as Rosemary West.
WHEN?: 3/3/18
We wouldn’t usually cover Finland’s Eurovision selection show, Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK), but we’re doing so this year because it has chosen UK X Factor runner-up Saara Aalto to sing each of three songs.
WORTH A LOOK?: ***
WHERE: Theatre Royal Haymarket
WHEN: 9/2, press night 20/2, runs to 5/5/18
We’re imagining that most of the packed audience at this venue are here for Doctor Foster star Suranne Jones and it’s her name we hear in occasional murmurings from our fellow guests ahead of this first preview.
WHEN?: 7pm (UK time) 10/2/18 on SVT (link at the bottom of the page below)
WHERE: Gothenburg
This week’s heat boasts a very contemporary song which is our favourite entry so far but will the Swedes get behind a singer not from their own country?
