PREVIEW

9 reasons why we can’t wait for August 2023 starring Victorious Festival

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

  1. Victorious Festival starring Cian Ducrot, Mae Muller and Welly

This year’s glorious Victorious Festival in Southsea runs across 3 days from Friday 25 August through Sunday 27 August with A Humdrum Mum’s names to look out for including Kasabian, Friendly Fires and The Charlatans as well as Jamiroquai, The Divine Comedy and Sigrid. Although we’re excited for newcomers Welly, this year’s UK Eurovision entry Mae Muller and Cian Ducrot whose debut album is appropriately titled Victory and out 4 August 2023. Tickets Day 1 review starring album chart-topper Cian Ducrot. A Humdrum Mum’s day 1 review Day 2 review Day 3 review

  • Read on for reasons including Heartstopper, new musical Next To Normal and The Effect at the National
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9 reasons why we can’t wait for July starring La Cage Aux Folles at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

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  1. La Cage Aux Folles at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Arguably 1 of our favourite London theatre venues, this atmospheric outdoor spot is particularly musical friendly. Director Tim Sheader has run this venue for over a decade and takes over as artistic director at the Donmar next year. La Cage Aux Folles is the story of a gay male couple whose son visits with news that he is to marry the daughter of an ultra-Conservative MP and farce ensues when this defender of the most traditional values in family life arrives with mother and daughter. Runs 29 July through 16 September 2023. Tickets Review

  • Read on for reasons including debut Cian Ducrot LP, the return of Pulp and Crazy For You
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9 reasons why we can’t wait for June 2023 starring A Strange Loop

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  1. A Strange Loop at the Barbican

The winner of 2 2022 Tonys is written by Michael R. Jackson and is the story of Usher, a black queer man writing a musical about a black queer man writing a musical. Starring Kyle Ramar Freeman and Jason Pennycooke (Hamilton, Victoria Palace) it runs at the Barbican 17 June through 9 September 2023. Tickets Review

  • Read on for reasons including Rebecca Frecknall’s Romeo and Juliet, James Graham’s Dear England and Glastonbury Festival
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9 reasons why we can’t wait for May 2023 starring Eurovision in Liverpool

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

  1. Eurovision Song Contest 2023 from Liverpool

We have our tickets and UK Eurovision entry I Wrote A Song by Mae Muller was April’s song of the month for us and is the country’s best effort since the almighty (Ooh Aah) Just A Little Bit by Gina G. Our favourite however is Tattoo by Loreen (pictured) for Sweden. Check out our Semi 1, Semi 2 and Final predictions for the 1st Eurovision in the UK since Dana International won in Birmingham 25 years ago. Tickets Rehearsals start on 30 April and we’ll be refining our predictions as we see footage. Final predictions

  • Read on for reasons including Brokeback Mountain, Groundhog Day returns, Alison Goldfrapp LP and Eddie Izzard’s Great Expectations
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PREVIEW/PREDICTIONS: Eurovision Song Contest Semi Final 2 starring Joker Out, Voyager, Alika & Reiley

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By Neil Durham

WHEN?: 8pm Thursday 11 May 2023

WHERE?: Liverpool Arena

HOW DO I WATCH?: BBC

The big favourites are in Semi 1 which makes Semi 2 far tougher to call with many live performances of these songs still to be seen.

  • Read on for reasons including our favourites Joker Out, Voyager, Alika and Reiley
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9 reasons why we can’t wait for April 2023 starring Derry Girls Dancing At Lughnasa

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  1. Derry Girls cast Dancing at Lughnasa at the National

Siobhan McSweeney (The Alchemist, Barbican Theatre) and Louisa Harland (Glass. Kill. Bluebeard. Imp, Royal Court) may be best known as Sister Michael and Orla McCool from Channel 4’s Derry Girls but here they reunite onstage with fellow cast member Ardal O’Hanlon in Brian Friel’s (Translations, National Theatre) 1936-set County Donegal tale of the Mundy sisters battling poverty to raise seven-year-old Michael and care for their uncle Jack. Runs 6 April through 27 May 2023. Tickets Review

  • Read on for reasons including The Motive And The Cue, A Little Life and A Play For The Living In A Time Of Extinction
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PREVIEW/PREDICTIONS: Eurovision Song Contest Semi Final 1 starring Loreen, Käärijä, Mimicat & Luke Black

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By Neil Durham

WHEN?: 8pm 9 May 2023

WHERE?: Liverpool Arena

HOW DO I WATCH?: BBC

‘Irregular voting paterns’ in 6 jury votes last year means this year’s semi finals will be televote only with this being the toughest semi and tasked with finding 10 finalists from a field of 15.

  • Read on for reasons including 2012 Eurovision winner Loreen and why this is 2023’s toughest semi
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PREVIEW/PREDICTIONS: Eurovision Song Contest Final starring Mae Muller, La Zarra & Blanca Paloma

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Neil Durham

WHEN?: Saturday 13 May 2023 8pm (GMT)

WHERE?: Liverpool Arena

HOW DO I WATCH?: BBC1

We’ve now heard all the songs by the 6 countries pre-qualified for May’s Eurovision Song Contest final and below we predict where we think they will finish there.

  • Read on for reasons including how we think the entries from the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Ukraine would fare at Eurovision this year
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PREDICTIONS: Melodifestivalen andra chansen starring Theoz, Tennessee Tears, Mariette & Melanie Wehbe

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By Aline Mahrud

WHEN? 7pm UK time Saturday 4 March 2023

WHERE? Hägglunds Arena, Örnsköldsvik

WHERE DO I WATCH? SVT Play 

We’ve now seen the performances, all the songs are available and below we predict how each of the songs in Saturday’s semi final – or andra chansen as we prefer to call it – would fare in May in Liverpool at the Eurovision Song Contest itself.

  • Read on for reasons including our thoughts on acts including Theoz, Tennessee Tears, Mariette and Melanie Wehbe
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9 reasons why we can’t wait for March 2023 starring Guys and Dolls at the Bridge Theatre

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

  1. Guys and Dolls at the Bridge Theatre

This venue’s promenade performances of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Julius Caesar have been amongst some of the best theatre we’ve ever immersed ourselves in and so this similar new production of a musical which is 1 of our favourites offers a great deal to look forward to. Not least with a cast including Marisha Wallace (Oklahoma!, Young Vic) and Daniel Mays (The Caretaker, Old Vic). Runs 3 March, opens 14 March through 2 September 2023. Tickets Review

  • Read on for reasons including Self Esteem, Cian Ducrot and the return of Eugenius
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