WORTH A LOOK?: ****
Berger 1st competed in the Eurovision Song Contest for Norway in 2013 finishing 4th in the Malmö Arena.
By Aline Mahrud
WORTH A LOOK?: *****
WHEN?: Sunday 31 December, runs through 21 September 2024 RUNTIME: 130 minutes (including a 20-minute interval)
The moment we surrendered our heart to this spoof World War Two sleeper hit musical was when – rather than misdirection – we thought spinster administrator Hester Leggett played by the brilliant Jak Malone had simply made a mistake.
By Neil Durham
WHEN?: 7pm UK time 10 February 2024
WHERE?: Scandinavium, Gothenberg WHERE DO I WATCH?: SVT Play
This week’s half a dozen new entries include 4 by artists who are making their Melodifestivalen debuts.
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK?: ***1/2
WHEN?: Monday 18 December, runs through 27 January 2024
This Pinter play celebrates its 60th birthday this year and it invites us into a 1964 working class London living room which is the very definition of what we would now call ‘toxic masculinity’.
By Neil Durham
WHEN?: 7pm UK time 3 February 2024
WHERE?: Malmö Arena, Malmö WHERE DO I WATCH?: SVT Play
Last year Sweden won Eurovision for a 7th time equalling Ireland’s record and this 1st heat is from the venue where the Eurovision Song Contest final itself will take place on Saturday 11 May 2024.
monstagigz readers have been voting throughout November and December for their favourite pop, theatre, TV, film and podcasts of 2023 from our shortlists. Read on for details of our 2023 monstas winners …
By Aline Mahrud
WORTH A LOOK?: ***
WHEN?: Wednesday 27 December, runs through 31 December 2023 RUNTIME: 155 minutes (including a 20-minute interval)
‘The prince seems to be under some sort of spell,’ observes RuPaul’s Drag Race star Kate Butch as Queen Camilla, ‘Like the people who voted Brexit.’
Our most read content of 2023 was this preview review of a play by Sam Steiner about a society where spoken words were rationed to 140 a day in a two-hander starring Aidan Turner (The Lieutenant of Inishmore, Noel Coward Theatre) and Jenna Coleman (All My Sons, Old Vic). Our review also caught the attention of Mail Online (see below).
By Aline Mahrud
WORTH A LOOK?: ***1/2
WHEN?: Saturday 23 December (matinee), runs through 6 January 2024
What would Glenn Close think?
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK?: ****1/2
The Divine Comedy’s Neil Hannon contributes half a dozen or so original songs to this musical providing an origin story for Roald Dahl’s chocolate factory owner Willy Wonka.
