books

THEATRE REVIEW: Romans, a novel starring Kyle Soller at the Almeida

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Aline Mahrud

WORTH A LOOK?: **

WHEN? Friday 26 September, runs through 11 October 2025 RUNTIME: 170 minutes (including a 20-minute interval)

Last year this venue had a big hit with Eline Arbo’s play The Years which transferred to the West End and looked at the life of 1 woman at different stages across 65 years featuring multiple actresses, winning 2 Oliviers in the process.

  • Read on for reasons including how pretentious full title, Romans, a novel perhaps sharply illustrates this play’s failure of form
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THEATRE REVIEW: Stereophonic starring Jack Riddiford at Duke Of York’s Theatre

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHEN? Saturday 30 August, runs through 22 November 2025

RUNTIME: 195 minutes (including 15-minute interval)

Can you ever have too much of a good thing?

  • Read on for reasons including how this is a classy production we’re unsure will repeat its Tonys success at the Oliviers
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THEATRE REVIEW: Interview starring Robert Sean Leonard & Paten Hughes at Riverside Studios, Hammersmith

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ***

WHEN? Monday 25 August, runs through 27 September 2025 RUNTIME: 90 minutes (without interval)

A war correspondent in Ukraine blames himself for the maiming of his photographer, is demoted and sent to interview a New York influencer turned actress he has little interest in.

  • Read on for reasons including how these are 2 people going at each other who it’s difficult to muster much empathy for
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LAST NIGHT: THEATRE REVIEW: The Fifth Step starring Jack Lowden & Martin Freeman @SohoPlace

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ****1/2

WHEN? Saturday 26 July 2025 RUNTIME: 90 minutes (no interval)

Like all of the greatest actors, Jack Lowden (Measure For Measure, Donmar) is absolutely unrecognisable as Scottish incel Luka here compared with the role of flawed hero River Cartwright he is perhaps best known for in Apple TV’s fine Slow Horses.

  • Read on for reasons including how we laughed a lot at The Fifth Step and the dexterity of the wordplay is quite beautiful
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PREVIEW/Q&A: Bookish starring Mark Gatiss & Polly Walker at BFI

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHEN? Monday 14 July, series drops from 16 July 2025 RUNTIME: Each of 6 episodes is 60 minutes

Gabriel Book is the name of the new detective creation by Mark Gatiss (The Motive And The Cue, National Theatre) who runs a London book shop in 1946 while not solving crime.

  • Read on for reasons including how Bookish is fiendishly clever, hugely funny and tremendously moving
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9 reasons why we can’t wait for July 2025 starring Sean Hayes in Good Night, Oscar

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

  1. Sean Hayes from Will And Grace in Good Night, Oscar

Emmy and Tony Award-winner Hayes makes his London debut and plays the hottest late night talk show host in 1958 in this Broadway transfer to the Barbican. Runs 100 minutes without interval 31 July through 21 September 2025. Tickets Review

  • Read on for reasons including new Cian Ducrot, Samira Wiley in the West End and Culture Club
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GIG REVIEW: Pulp at The 02

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Neil Durham

WHEN?: Friday 13 June 2025, tour runs through 26 September 2025

WORTH A LOOK?: *****

Setlist: Spike Island; Grown Ups; Slow Jam; Sorted For Es and Whizz; Disco 2000; F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E; Tina; Help The Aged; Farmers’ Market; This Is Hardcore; Sunrise; Something Changed; The Fear; O.U. (Gone Gone); Party Hard; Acrylic Afternoons; Do You Remember The First Time?; Mis-Shapes; Got To Have Love; Babies; Common People; A Sunset

Tonight Pulp discover shortly before taking the stage at this arena for the 1st time that More, their 1st new album for 24 years, is their 3rd UK charttopper, their 1st since 1998’s This Is Hardcore.

  • Read on for reasons including how this is pop’s greatest resurrection of the year
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THEATRE REVIEW: Radiant Boy: A Haunting at Southwark Playhouse Borough (The Little) starring Stuart Thompson & Renee Lamb

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: **** RUNTIME: 110 minutes (with interval)

WHEN?: Saturday 24 May (matinee), runs through 14 June 2025

Russell is a singing student with cropped bleached blond hair who returns to his north-east home in the 80s where his single mother calls the local priest to exorcise her son’s demons.

  • Read on for reasons including how this is truly shocking and 1 of the best new plays of the year
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THEATRE REVIEW: Ghosts starring Callum Scott Howells & Victoria Smurfit at Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ****1/2

WHEN? Saturday 12 April, opens 16 April runs through 10 May 2025 RUNTIME 155 minutes (including a 20-minute interval)

Playwright Gary Owen explains his modern take on this beloved Ibsen in the programme: ‘There is a point to messing with a classic – if you get it right, you might preserve what was truly startling about the original. You might reproduce the impact this dusty old classic had when it was a snarling, swaggering young play.’

  • Read on for reasons including how you couldn’t ask for a more intense performance than star Scott Howells serves up
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THEATRE REVIEW: Midnight Cowboy starring Max Bowden at the Southwark Playhouse (Elephant)

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ***

WHEN? Saturday 5 April, opens 10 April and runs through 17 May 2025 RUNTIME: 150 minutes (including 20-minute interval)

The triple Oscar-winning 1969 film about the unlikely friendship between a male prostitute and his business partner played by Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman is perhaps not the 1st candidate to spring to mind to become a stage musical.

  • Read on for reasons including how you should see this if you’re a fan of Bowden’s because he displayed some serious musical theatre muscle
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