WORTH A LOOK?: ****
OUT: available to watch on YouTube
‘One day when the lockdown is over, We’ll get on the ferry at Dover, We’ll drive down to Spain, to say: ‘Hola!’ again, Te amo, Te amo España.’ Derry boy and Divine Comedy frontman Neil Hannon has Eurovision form.
We were at the Hartwall Areena in Helsinki in 2007 when this had the misfortune of following immediately after eventual winner Molitva by Marija Šerifović. We hadn’t fancied it much before we left London for Finland but when we arrived it was clear what a fan favourite it was. Multiple key changes, a riot in Bacofoil and a simple, insistent hook, it defeated Šerifović in a recent Eurovision Again vote. ‘Let’s speak dance!’
WORTH A LOOK?: *****
AIRS: 9pm Mondays BBC1 until 1/6/20. All episodes available now on BBC iPlayer
‘What’s that shagging and crying thing you keep watching?’ I’m sharing a lockdown living room with my husband who is listening to podcasts on his headphones while I’m monopolising the TV.
We’re predicting the top three at 2020’s Eurovision-that-never-was would have consisted entirely of countries who had never won before in the contest’s 65-year history. But which three?
The Old Vic was the second winner of our Best Theatre Venue monsta last year and below are details of what you can expect from patron membership which for us meant sharing a rehearsal room with actors including Sally Field and Jenna Coleman (pictured).
BBC Eurovision host Graham Norton (pictured above) won’t be in Rotterdam in the Netherlands on 16/5 when the Eurovision Song Contest was due to take place but UK fans will have a show to watch at 6.30pm – Eurovision: Come Together. The one-off special promises a celebration of the most unforgettable performances in the contest’s 65-year history along with the greatest songs from the modern contest. Read our predictions for who would have qualified from Semi 1, Semi 2 and how the pre-qualified finalists would have done.
WORTH A LOOK?: *****
OUT: now
TRACKLIST: Future Nostalgia; Don’t Look Down; Cool; Physical; Levitating; Hallucinate; Pretty Please; Love Again; Break My Heart; Good In Bed; Boys Will Be Boys
Spring 2020 was expected to see much-anticipated album releases from the likes of Lady Gaga, Sam Smith and Rumer but concern over how they they would land during a global coronavirus pandemic saw plans for them shelved, leaving the way clear for Dua Lipa’s sophomore collection.
WHEN?: 16/5/2020 (now cancelled, although the EBU is planning a Eurovision Shine A Light show)
WHERE?: Rotterdam Ahoy, Rotterdam
Coronavirus has caused the cancellation of the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time in its 65-year history but we’re not letting it spoil our fun and, because we know the 41 songs which would have participated, we’re predicting how the finalists would have done.
WORTH A LOOK?: *****
OUT: now
At just 162 seconds, this pop gem manages to combine so many influences and on first listen we’d describe it as very classic Eurovision sounding, both very ABBA and Ace of Base.
WORTH A LOOK?: ***1/2
WHERE?: Livestreaming via Leave A Light On courtesy the Theatre Cafe
WHEN: 10/4/20 (matinee)
‘Absolute chaos’, remembers & Juliet star Tim Mahendran of his time in the recording studio with legendary songwriter Max Martin.
