It’s almost Christmas and what would the festive season be without some recognition of the best of 2019? Over the next month we’ll shortlist five nominees in each of 14 categories for our Oscars, or monstas if you will, of 2019.
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. Sheridan Smith, Jade Anouka, Imelda Staunton and Sharon D. Clarke are previous winners in this category.
WORTH A LOOK?: *****
WHERE? Donmar Warehouse RUNTIME: 2 hours and 28 minutes (including a 20-minute interval)
WHEN? 6/5, runs to 8/6/2019
‘Sensational’ is the 1-word review we hear Tony and Olivier Award winner Jonathan Pryce utter as he leaves the Donmar after this farewell production by outgoing Artistic Director Josie Rourke – and we agree wholeheartedly.
D. Clarke (pictured 2nd from right, top) won our Best Actress monsta last year as well as the Olivier for Best Actress In A Musical for her star turn in Caroline, Or Change and is here directed by Marianne Elliott (pictured left in video, hot from Company) and appears alongside Arinze Kene (winner of our Best Actor monsta for Misty and far left in the picture). Their revival of the Arthur Miller classic runs 1/5 through 29/6 at the Young Vic. Review. Tickets
Two highlights for us of last year were the National Theatre’s production of Angels In America by Tony Kushner and Sharon D. Clarke in musical The Life at Southwark Playhouse. This year D. Clarke is in Kushner’s musical Caroline, Or Change set in Louisiana in 1963 which runs 12/3 to 21/4 at Hampstead Theatre. Transferred from Chichester’s Festival Theatre. Tickets
It’s Christmas and what would the festive season be without some recognition of the best of 2017? Over the next few days we’ll shortlist five nominees in each of 13 categories for our Oscars, or monstas if you will, of 2017.
This year will be our fourth Glastonbury in a row and, although there’s far too much to be excited about to list here, we’d probably pick our first Emeli Sandé gig as the thing we’re most enthused by at the sold-out event which runs from 22/6 to 25/6. Katy Perry’s new album Witness is out 9/6 and Lorde’s Melodrama 16/6 and they both also feature.
WORTH A LOOK?: ***
WHERE: Almeida
WHEN: 7/10, press night 14/10, runs to 26/11
We last saw Anne-Marie Duff in Husbands and Sons at the National earlier this year where she gave a gritty northern performance that will be tough to be bettered this year and which brings us here to one of our favourite theatres and a first preview of a new play we’ve been excited about for months.
Last year we awarded our first monstas to the best pop, theatre, film and TV of 2015 in 11 categories.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHERE: National Theatre
WHEN: 5/2, running to 10/2
What do you get if you mash-up three of D.H. Lawrence’s greatest dramas set over 100 years ago in a village on the border of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire where the pit dominates all?
monstagigz 