GIG REVIEW: Cian Ducrot at the Eventim Apollo Hammersmith

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHEN?: Tuesday 21 November 2023, tour runs through 28 June 2024

SETLIST: Victory; Mama; Heaven; Him; Endless Nights; Rest Of Our Days; How Do You Know; Hurt When You Hurt Me; All For You; Blame It On You; Step Dad; Everyone Who Falls In Love (Has Someone Else They’re Thinking Of); Part Of Me; Thank God You Stayed; I’ll Be Waiting

A year ago we reviewed Ducrot as support on Ella Henderson’s tour and tonight she returns the favour by appearing here to duet on their new Christmas single Rest Of Our Days.

  • Read on for reasons including how 2024 promises some big gigs in his native Ireland
Read More

GIG REVIEW: Shiiine On Weekender 2023 at Butlins, Minehead

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Carron Stacey, A Humdrum Mum

WHEN?: 17 to 20 November 2023

Our seventh Shiiine (we only missed the first one) and it appears, musically, to have been the best! We review Wonder Stuff, Sleeper, Terrorvision, Inspiral Carpets, John Power, Jesus Jones, A Certain Ratio and Steve Lamacq’s Going Deaf for a Living talk plus DJ set.

  • Read on for reasons including Wonder Stuff, Sleeper, Terrorvision and Steve Lamacq
Read More

AWARDS SHORTLIST: MONSTAS: Best TV of 2023

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

It’s been quite the year, it’s almost Christmas and what would the festive season be without some recognition of the best of 2023? Over the next 2 months we’ll shortlist five nominees in each of 16 categories for our Oscars, or monstas if you will, of 2023.

Read More

THEATRE REVIEW: The Witches at the National Theatre

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ***1/2

WHEN?: Saturday 18 November (matinee), opens 21 November and runs through 27 January 2024

The best thing about this new musical version of the beloved Road Dahl children’s tale is Daniel Rigby’s comic turn as an increasingly exasperated Devon hotelier who is Basil Fawlty played by Eric Morecambe.

  • Read on for reasons including how this compares with Dahl’s Matilda The Musical
Read More

THEATRE REVIEW: Stranger Things: The First Shadow at the Phoenix Theatre

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ***

WHEN?: Saturday 18 November, opens 14 December and runs through 25 August 2024 RUNTIME: 210 minutes (including a 20-minute interval)

Season 4 of Netflix hit series Stranger Things is set in 1986 and this spin off play – The First Shadow – turns back the clock in US town Hawkins to 1959.

  • Read on for reasons including why this is less Upside Down and more all over the place
Read More

THEATRE REVIEW: The House Of Bernarda Alba starring Harriet Walter at the National

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Aline Mahrud

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHEN?: Friday 17 November, opens 25 November and runs through 6 January 2024 RUNTIME: 140 minutes (with a 20-minute interval)

You join us in 1945 in Andalusia, Spain in the titular home of Walter’s Bernarda Alba as she and her 5 daughters mourn the loss of her husband and their father.

  • Read on for reasons including how this retelling of a classic reminds how often and wrongly women can be viewed as secondary to men
Read More

AWARDS SHORTLIST: MONSTAS: Best Supporting Actor of 2023

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

It’s been quite the year, it’s almost Christmas and what would the festive season be without some recognition of the best of 2023? Over the next 2 months we’ll shortlist five nominees in each of 16 categories for our Oscars, or monstas if you will, of 2023.

  • Read on for the nominees for the monsta for Best Supporting Actor of 2023 Previous winner 2022 Barry Keoghan (The Banshees Of Inisherin) Review
Read More

THEATRE REVIEW: Feeling Afraid As If Something Terrible Is About To Happen starring Samuel Barnett at the Bush Theatre

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: *****

WHEN?: Saturday 11 November, opens 15 November and runs through 23 December 2023 RUNTIME: 65 minutes (no interval)

Samuel Barnett (Allelujah!, Bridge Theatre) plays a stand-up comedian performing a 65-minute monologue about the sex life of a gay 36-year-old northerner living in London.

  • Read on for reasons including why this is the funniest comedy of the year
Read More

AWARDS SHORTLIST: MONSTAS: Best TV/Film Actor of 2023

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

It’s been quite the year, it’s almost Christmas and what would the festive season be without some recognition of the best of 2023? Over the next month we’ll shortlist five nominees in each of 16 categories for our Oscars, or monstas if you will, of 2023.

Read More