AWARDS SHORTLIST: MONSTAS: Best New Play of 2022

It’s been quite the year, it’s almost Christmas and what would the festive season be without some recognition of the best of 2022? Over the next month we’ll shortlist five nominees in each of 16 categories for our 8th annual Oscars, or monstas if you will, of 2022.

Read More

THEATRE REVIEW: The P Word at the Bush Theatre

By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: *****

WHEN?: Saturday 10 September 2022, opens 14 September, runs to 22 October 2022 RUNTIME: 90 minutes (no interval) Update: run extended to 29 October 2022

Bilal – or Billy as he prefers to be known (pictured right above) – is 31 and has lots of anonymous sex but wonders why he’s never found the 1 or even a boyfriend.

  • Read on for reasons including why this is 1 of the best new plays performed this year
Read More

9 reasons why we can’t wait for September 2022 starring Suede

  1. Suede live and new album Autofiction

Suede may have reformed in 2010 but they’ve never mattered to us in the same way as they did when we 1st saw them at Portsmouth Pyramids in 1993 – until now. Singles She Still Leads Me On and 15 Again show a flair and consistency we’ve not seen this century. New album Autofiction is released 16 September and we see them the night before at a special gig at PRYZM, Kingston. Tickets

  • Read on for reasons including The P Word, The Band’s Visit, Eureka Day and Self Esteem
Read More

THEATRE REVIEW: Red Pitch starring Kedar Williams-Stirling, Emeka Sesay & Francis Lovehall at Bush Theatre

By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: **** RUNTIME: 90 minutes (no interval)

WHEN?: Opening night Tuesday 22 February 2022 (press ticket), runs to 26 March 2022

Williams-Stirling plays Jackson Marchetti, a head boy and swimming champion in Netflix’s TV series Sex Education and it’s a role light years from his part in this coming of age story set on a football pitch not far from this west London venue.

  • Read on for reasons including how there’s a truthfulness in the friendship represented here
Read More

PREVIEW: 9 reasons why we can’t wait for March starring Jonathan Bailey, Taron Egerton & Jade Anouka in Cock

  1. Jonathan Bailey, Taron Egerton and Jade Anouka in Cock

Bridgerton star Bailey won our Best Performance Of A Song monsta in 2018 under Marianne Elliott’s direction in Sondheim’s Company, currently running on Broadway. Elliott returns to direct here. Anouka won a monsta too in 2016 for Best Theatre Actress in the Shakespeare Trilogy. Both star with Egerton (Rocketman) and Phil Daniels (Les Miserables). Mike Bartlett’s 2009 (Snowflake) play about a gay male couple threatened from an unlikely source originally starred Ben Whishaw, Andrew Scott and Katherine Parkinson. Runs 5 March through 4 June 2022 at the Ambassadors Theatre. Tickets The view from the audience as Egerton fainted at the 1st preview

  • Read on for reasons including To Kill A Mockingbird in the West End and the return of Bridgerton
Read More

MONSTAS SHORTLIST: Best New Play of the year: 2018

It’s almost Christmas and what would the festive season be without some recognition of the best of 2018? Over the next month we’ll shortlist five nominees in each of 14 categories for our Oscars, or monstas if you will, of 2018.

  • Read on for nominees for the monsta for Best New Play of the year. 2017 winner: The Ferryman (Royal Court, then Gielgud Theatre)

Read More

MONSTAS SHORTLIST: Best Theatre Actor of the year: 2018

It’s almost Christmas and what would the festive season be without some recognition of the best of 2018? Over the next week we’ll shortlist five nominees in each of 14 categories for our Oscars, or monstas if you will, of 2018.

  • Read on for nominees for the monsta for Theatre Actor of the year. 2017 winner: Andrew Scott in Hamlet at the Almeida

Read More

MONSTAS SHORTLIST: Best New Musical of the year: 2018

It’s almost Christmas and what would the festive season be without some recognition of the best of 2018? Over the next week we’ll shortlist five nominees in each of 14 categories for our Oscars, or monstas if you will, of 2018.

  • Read on for nominees for the monsta for Musical of the year. 2017 winner: Everybody’s Talking About Jamie at the Apollo Theatre

Read More

THEATRE REVIEW: Drip starring Andrew Finnigan at the Bush Theatre

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHERE? Bush Theatre (Studio) RUN TIME: 1 hour (no interval)

WHEN?: 4/12 runs to 22/12/18

If you’re looking for the ’10s answer to 1993’s groundbreaking play Beautiful Thing by Jonathan Harvey with songs – then look no further.

  • Read on for reasons including why this charming 1-man show is all about daring to win

Read More