By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK?: ****1/2
WHEN? Thursday 9 July, runs through Saturday 11 July 2026
Festival organisers are giving away free sombreros as temperatures surpass 40 degrees – the highest recorded for 112 years – and Suede compliment this vast crowd on their enthusiastic singing along.
By Carron Stacey, A Humdrum Mum
WHEN? Sunday 5 July 2026, Duran Duran tour through 3 November 2026
This must be the 8th time we’ve seen them; the last a year to the day at Chelmsford Racecourse. And I always say “They’re better than ever before”.
Blanchett (The Seagull, Barbican) stars opposite Nina Hoss (The Cherry Orchard, Donmar) in Benedict Andrews’ (Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, Apollo Theatre) production fusing ancient myth and modern psychology at the Lyttelton at the National 19 August through 10 October 2026. Tickets
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHEN? Sunday 21 June, opens 24 June and runs through 22 August 2026 RUNTIME: 90 minutes (no interval)
We really weren’t expecting to love this new musical as much as we did and we wonder whether it is its creators’ fondness for the awkward British humour of Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant and the Pythons that won us over.
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK?: ***1/2
WHEN? Sunday 14 June, opens 23 June and runs through 6 September 2026 RUNTIME: 85 minutes (no interval)
Hot Mess was shortlisted for our Best New Musical 2025 monsta and last year we said of it: ‘We’d definitely recommend catching it on this short run and wouldn’t be at all surprised if it scorches its way to the West End next.’
WORTH A LOOK?: ****1/2
Radio 1 DJ Clara Amfo presents this very Top Of The Pops-styled video by Jonas Åkerlund with Nile Rodgers (BST Hyde Park).
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHEN?: Saturday 23 May (matinee), opens 3 June and runs through 11 July 2026 and then tours through 14 November 2026 RUNTIME: 150 minutes (including a 20-minute interval)
Helen George (Love In Idleness, Menier) may still be best known for TV’s Call The Midwife and is the central character here as Long Island socialite Tracy Lord planning a June 1938 wedding to accountant George Kittredge.
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK?: *****
WHEN?: Saturday 9 May (matinee), opens 18 May and runs through 4 July 2026 RUNTIME: 170 minutes (including a 20-minute interval)
Inside No 9 and Waterloo Road‘s Noah Valentine follows in the footsteps of Daniel Radcliffe in baring all as troubled 17-year-old Alan Strang who is blinding horses.
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHEN?: Friday 8 May and runs through 10 May 2026 RUNTIME: 60 minutes (interval)
It’s a tale as old as time but young gay love story Homo is the anti-Heartstopper.
By Carron Stacey, A Humdrum Mum
WHEN?: 25 April 2026, tour runs through 9 May 2026
Hackney Colliery Band (HCB) are a jazz band that fuses electronics with a double percussion outfit.
