PREVIEW: 9 reasons why we can’t wait for January 2025 starring Inside No 9

  1. Inside No 9 transfers to the West End from TV

You can vote for Steve Pemberton (The Pillowman, Duke Of York’s Theatre) and Reece Shearsmith’s (The Unfriend, Criterion Theatre) genius 9th and final TV series of Inside No 9 to win Best TV of 2024. The anthology show’s theatre incarnation Inside No 9 Stage/Fright arrives at the Wyndhams Theatre for a run 18 January through 5 April 2025. Tickets Our review

  • Read on for reasons including Rami Malek in Oedipus, Brie Larson in Elektra and new Severance
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Best read monstagigz content of 2024 starring Sigourney Weaver in The Tempest

  1. Sigourney Weaver’s West End debut in Jamie Lloyd’s The Tempest

Our most read content of 2024 was this preview review of the West End debut of Alien star Weaver in Jamie Lloyd’s take on Shakespeare’s The Tempest which runs at Theatre Royal Drury Lane until 1 February 2025. Tickets

  • Read on for reasons including Sheridan Smith, Steve Coogan’s Dr Strangelove and Michael Sheen’s Nye
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AWARDS SHORTLIST: MONSTAS: Best Theatre Actress of 2024

It’s been quite the year, it’s almost Christmas and what would the festive season be without some recognition of the best of 2024? Over the next month we’ll shortlist five nominees in each of 17 categories for our 10th annual Oscars, or monstas if you will, of 2024.

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ALBUM OF THE MONTH: Wicked (Part 1) by cast including Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande (December 2024)

WORTH A LOOK?: ****1/2

Tracklist: No One Mourns the Wicked; Dear Old Shiz; The Wizard And I; What Is This Feeling?; Something Bad; Dancing Through Life; Popular; I’m Not That Girl; One Short Day; A Sentimental Man; Defying Gravity

Splitting the theatrical musical of Wicked into 2 movies was a controversial but genius decision.

  • Read on for reasons including how this soundtrack album surpasses expectations
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AWARDS SHORTLIST: MONSTAS: Best Theatre Actor of 2024

It’s been quite the year, it’s almost Christmas and what would the festive season be without some recognition of the best of 2024? Over the next month we’ll shortlist five nominees in each of 17 categories for our 10th annual Oscars, or monstas if you will, of 2024.

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SONG OF THE MONTH: Eurostar by Nemo (December 2024)

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

Next year’s 69th Eurovision Song Contest is in Basel, Switzerland thanks to Nemo, the show’s 1st non-binary winner, with a song that placed 5th in its televote but was the runaway jury winner.

  • Read on for reasons including how to see Nemo live in London in 2025
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AWARDS SHORTLIST: MONSTAS: Best Revival of 2024

It’s been quite the year, it’s almost Christmas and what would the festive season be without some recognition of the best of 2024? Over the next month we’ll shortlist five nominees in each of 17 categories for our 10th annual Oscars, or monstas if you will, of 2024.

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FILM REVIEW: Gladiator 2 starring Paul Mescal & Pedro Pascal

By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

Mescal returns to the West End stage in 2025 in Rebecca Frecknall’s A Streetcar Named Desire and that performance as swarthy and brutish Stanley Kowalski gives a sense of the physicality he brings to Ridley Scott’s sequel to his 5 Oscar-winning film Gladiator.

  • Read on for reasons including how this is absolutely ridiculous but also a riveting romp through its 148 minutes that requires a suspension of disbelief
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AWARDS SHORTLIST: MONSTAS: Best Theatre Supporting Actor of 2024

It’s been quite the year, it’s almost Christmas and what would the festive season be without some recognition of the best of 2024? Over the next month we’ll shortlist five nominees in each of 17 categories for our 10th annual Oscars, or monstas if you will, of 2024.

  • Read on for the nominees for the monsta for the Best Theatre Supporting Actor of 2024 Previous winner 2023: Katy Secombe (Guys And Dolls, Bridge Thetare)
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GIG REVIEW: Culture Club, Tony Hadley & Heaven 17 at The 02

By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHEN?: Sunday 15 December 2024, Culture Club tour runs through 21 June 2025

Setlist: White Boy; I’m Afraid Of Me; Take Control; You Know I’m Not Crazy; Boy, Boy (I’m The Boy); White Boys Can’t Control It; I’ll Tumble 4 Ya; Kissing To Be Clever; Love Twist; Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?; Church Of The Poison Mind; It’s A Miracle; Mister Man; Miss Me Blind; Stormkeeper; Changing Every Day; Black Money; Colour By Numbers; That’s The Way (I’m Only Trying To Help You); Victims; Time (Clock Of The Heart); Get It On; Karma Chameleon

Perhaps it was because this was the last night of this leg of the tour but we’ve seen Boy George and his band Culture Club live many times and this was the friendlist and chattiest we’ve ever seen him.

  • Read on for reasons including how this was the warmest and most interesting we’ve ever seen Culture Club
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