THEATRE REVIEW: Cyrano de Bergerac starring James McAvoy at the Playhouse Theatre

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WORTH A LOOK?: ***1/2

WHERE? Playhouse Theatre RUNTIME: 170 minutes (including a 20-minute interval)

WHEN? 30/11, press night 6/12, runs to 29/2/20

‘This’ll work – I’ve seen it in a movie with Steve Martin.’ So says McAvoy to much audience laughter as Cyrano de Bergerac before impersonating friend Christian who is struggling to woo the challenging Roxane.

  • Read on for reasons including why this isn’t quite the crown on top of a remarkable year for director Jamie Lloyd

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PANTOMIME REVIEW: Sleeping Beauty starring Andrew Pollard and Anthony Spargo at the Greenwich Theatre

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WORTH A LOOK?: *****

WHERE? Greenwich Theatre RUNTIME: 150 minutes (including 20-minute interval)

WHEN? 29/11 (press night), runs to 12/1/20

Welcome to a show worthy of the West End but at a fraction of the ticket price that speaks to what it is like to live in this beautiful nook of south-east London.

  • Read on for reasons including what writer/dame/director Andrew Pollard thinks of this show stopping panto

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THEATRE REVIEW: The Boy Friend starring Amara Okereke, Janie Dee, Adrian Edmondson and Issy Van Randwyck at the Menier

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHERE? Menier Chocolate Factory RUNTIME: 150 minutes (including two intervals)

WHEN? 22/11, press night 3/12, runs to 7/3/20

Julie Andrews made her American stage debut in this 1954 British musical in a role played here by Amara Okereke who won a Stage Debut award for Best Actress in a Musical

  • Read on for reasons including how this impressive cast includes comedian Adrian Edmondson

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INTERVIEW: Andrew Pollard, writer/director/star of Greenwich Theatre’s Sleeping Beauty

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WHERE? Greenwich Theatre

WHEN? opens 22/11, press night 29/11, runs to 12/1/20

Greenwich Theatre’s annual pantomime is always one of the highlights of our festive season and so we quizzed writer/director/star Andrew Pollard (pictured above) to find out more about this year’s show which is in previews from Friday (22/11/19)

  • Read on for reasons including how comedy heroes from Eric Morecambe to Beryl Reid are channelled

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ALBUM OF THE MONTH: Don’t Know What’s Cool Anymore by Alphabeat (November 2019)

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

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

OUT: now

TRACKLIST: Shadows; I Don’t Know What’s Cool Anymore; Back Of My Bike; Goldmine; Sing A Song; Sometimes; Now You Know; The Answer; I’d Rather Die

‘Got a UK deal before we finished school, Moved to East London and tried to be cool,
Top ten felt like picking a cherry, Wearing free sneaks in the pub with Katy Perry.’

  • Read on for reasons including why you should see Alphabeat live in the UK in April

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SONG OF THE MONTH: Break Up (Bye Bye) by Frock Destroyers (November 2019)

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK?: *****

OUT: now

Ladies – start your engines. We’re big fans of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK and so, when monstagigz favourite MNEK appeared to produce rival girl groups, we thought the results would be good but we weren’t quite prepared for two fabulous versions of a great original song.

  • Read on for reasons including why favourite Cheryl Hole’s Filth Harmony wasn’t our pick

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THEATRE REVIEW: & Juliet at the Shaftesbury Theatre starring Miriam-Teak Lee, Cassidy Janson, Oliver Tompsett & David Bedella

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHERE? Shaftesbury Theatre

WHEN? 9/11, opens 20/11, runs to 30/5/20

Swede Max Martin is the third most successful songwriter in US chart history with credits on 22 number singles behind only Beatles Paul McCartney and John Lennon.

  • Read on for reasons including how two unexpected love stories challenge stereotypes here

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GIG REVIEW: Ella Henderson at Hoxton Hall

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK?: *****

WHERE? Hoxton Hall

WHEN? 9/11/19

SETLIST: Glow; Glorious; We Got Love; Yours: Bones; Young; Glitterball; This Is Real; Friends; Brave; Ghost

Ella Henderson is at the piano introducing new song Bones reflecting on seeing a large backside in a magazine and realising it was her own.

  • Read on for reasons including how Jax Jones appeared here as a surprise guest

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GIG REVIEW: Marina at Eventim Apollo

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK?: ***1/2

WHERE? Eventim Apollo

WHEN? 4/11, tour runs to 18/11/19

SETLIST: Handmade Heaven; Hollywood; Primadonna; Enjoy Your Life; I Am Not A Robot; To Be Human; Superstar; From; Orange Trees; Teen Idle; Believe In Love; Bubblegum Bitch; Emotional Machine; I’m Not Hungry Anymore; No More Suckers; Karma; Oh No; Baby: End Of the Earth; How To Be A Heartbreaker

We last saw Marina at a Q&A in London in April where she talked about her artistic freedom and so we’re not entirely surprised when at the close of tonight’s gig she drops a bombshell.

  • Read on for reasons including why this was Marina’s ‘perfect last show for me for a while’

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