WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHERE? Underbelly Festival RUNTIME: 70 minutes
WHEN? 19/9/19
Cheryl Hole (pictured centre above) thinks Gals Aloud are more likely to be performing together to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the formation of Girls Aloud in 2022 than the actual group.
By Neil Pugmire
WHERE? Hyde Park (press ticket)
WHEN? 15/9/19
If you had to choose the perfect headliners for a Radio 2 festival, it might be the Pet Shop Boys. Famous for matching intelligent lyrics with irresistible synth-pop hooks, and with a 30-year back catalogue to plunder, they could easily entertain thousands of 30 to 50-somethings gathered in Hyde Park on a balmy Sunday evening.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
OUT: now
They’re from ’85, they ain’t gonna lie and they don’t know what’s cool anymore.
We awarded 14 monstas for the best pop, theatre, TV and film of 2018 in December – and here we look at the cream of 2019 so far and what’s to come. Getting Married Today (Company) and Tight Connection To My Heart (Girl From The North Country) are previous winners in this category.
By Carron Stacey
WHERE?: Southsea Common (press ticket)
WHEN?: 23 – 25/8/19
During a festival, one of the things Mr Humdrum and I like to do, in that quiet slot between bands, is to wander around looking at the stalls.
By Carron Stacey
WHERE?: Southsea Common (press ticket)
WHEN?: 23 – 25/8/19
During my stint as a reporter at Victorious Festival last month, one of my highlights was to interview two people who work for the charity Tonic Music for Mental Health’s Ska Choir.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHERE? Leicester Square Theatre RUNTIME: 60 minutes
WHEN? 7/9/19, closes 7/9/19
‘About me, the critics lied. I ignored them – and survived,’ sang character Billie Trix in song Friendly Fire (see below) played by Frances Barber in ahead-of-its-time 2001 Pet Shop Boys’ musical Closer To Heaven.
We awarded 14 monstas for the best pop, theatre, TV and film of 2018 in December – and here we look at the cream of 2019 so far and what’s to come. Suede (twice), Shura and Bananarama are previous winners in this category.
WORTH A LOOK?: ***
WHERE? Old Vic RUNTIME: 170 minutes (including a 20-minute interval)
WHEN? 3/9, opens 5/9 and runs to 5/10/19
‘The only thing that’s criminal here is the £4 cost of a programme – and that you have to go outside to pee.’
WORTH A LOOK?: ***
WHERE? Other Palace RUNTIME: 160 minutes (with a 20-minute interval)
WHEN? 30/8, opens 5/9 and runs to 23/11/19
There is a song here, Breaking Down, that is so good and so well performed by Laura Pitt-Pulford that you’ll want to stand and cheer at its conclusion towards the end of the opening half.
