WORTH A LOOK?: ****1/2
TRACKLIST: Audacious; Everydaydreamer; The Doctor; Hooked; Build It Up; Night Or Day; Tell Me I Should Stay; Cats; Black Eyelashes; Bar Lonely; The Birds
Franz Ferdinand only include 2 of its original line-up in the now quintet which may give a clue why this 6th album is a dramatic return to form.
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK?: ***
WHEN?: Saturday 24 January, opening 5 February and running through 12 April 2025 RUNTIME: 95 minutes without interval
Elektra is angry and we know this because she sports a buzz cut, wears a Bikini Kill T-shirt and shouts into a variety of onstage microphones, some with distortion pedals, unavailable to the rest of the cast like a slam poet goes full Sinead O’Connor on Saturday Night Live.
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK?: ***1/2
WHEN?: Friday 25 January 2025, opening 4 February and running through 29 March 2025 RUNTIME: 105 minutes (no interval)
There’s so much to rave about in this razor-sharp adaptation of this Greek tragedy containing a 1st stage performance in 18 years by Oscar winner Rami Malek (film Bohemian Rhapsody) but it’s too often left flatfooted by pointless techno dance breaks.
By Neil Durham
WHEN?: Saturday 1 March 2025 7pm UK time
WHERE?: Husqvana Garden, Jönköping
Last year we wrote of Scarlet’s Circus X that it boasted ‘the most thrilling climax to a song we’ve heard all Eurovision season’ and its striking visuals would foreshadow the similar styling of Ireland’s Bambie Thug which romped home in 6th beating the Swedish entry, equalling the country’s best result for 24 years.
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHEN?: Saturday 18 January 2025, running through 5 April 2025 RUNTIME: 140 minutes (including a 20-minute interval) Update: UK tour runs 9 September through 29 November 2025 Tickets
Steve Pemberton (The Pillowman, Duke Of York’s Theatre) and Reece Shearsmith (The Unfriend, Criterion Theatre) are established West End performers and the theatre incarnation of their award-winning anthology TV show Inside No 9 is an elegant full stop to it.
By Neil Durham
WHEN?: Saturday 22 February 2025 7pm UK time
WHERE?: Malmö Arena, Malmö
Zelmerlöw is the big favourite to win MF for a 2nd time after triumphing in 2015 with Heroes which finished 3rd in the Eurovision televote behind Italy and Russia but went on to triumph.
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
It’s been quite the year for director Luca Guadagnino who helmed 2 of the hottest films of 2024 with this following tennis love match Challengers.
WHEN?: Tuesday 28 January, Thursday 30 January through Saturday 1 February 2025
WHERE?: Palau Municipal d’Esports l’Illa de Benidorm
Spain achieved its best Eurovision result for 27 years with the 1st winner of Benidorm Fest – Chanel’s SloMo was 3rd – but the last 2 years have seen finishes in 17th and 22nd.
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHEN?: Friday 10 January, running through 22 March 2025 RUNTIME: 150 minutes (including a 20-minute interval)
We’ve been regularly visiting Barcelona for the last 25 years and only ever seen the musicals we love in Spanish, English or a mixture and so this is our 1st in the native Catalan.
By Neil Durham
WHEN?: Saturday 15 February 2025 7pm UK time
WHERE?: ABB Arena, Västerås
Will it be 4th time lucky for a girl band with a rotating membership to rival the UK’s own Sugababes?
