We were at the 1st preview of this Chekhov adaptation by Conor McPherson and were blissfully unaware it would be closed by COVID-19 in March and be on cinema screens later in the year. The production is shortlisted for 4 monstas awarded 30/12/20.
We awarded 14 monstas for the best pop, theatre, TV and film of 2019 in December – and here we look at the cream of 2020 so far and what’s to come. James McAvoy, George MacKay, Andrew Scott, Arinzé Kene and Daniel Monks are previous winners in this category.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHERE? Bridge Theatre RUNTIME: 60 minutes (no interval)
WHEN? 14/2, press night 19/2 runs to 14/3/20
Colin Morgan plays three very different characters in this Caryl Churchill revival, two of whom are clones of the other.
Bryan Adams co-wrote this musical version of the beloved 1990 Julia Roberts/Richard Gere film which ran on Broadway starring Samantha Barks (performing in clip above) for a year until August. Atkinson has a Eurovision connection and we saw her in Six in the West End. Mac will be familiar to Strictly viewers. Opens at the Piccadilly Theatre 13/2, booking until 2/1/21. Tickets
WORTH A LOOK?: *****
WHERE? Old Vic RUNTIME: 2 hours 35 minutes (including a 20-minute interval)
WHEN? 18/4, opens 23/4 runs to 8/6/19
We’re at a pre-show Q&A with director Jeremy Herrin and he talks about the 1 in 10 theatre visits which are transcendental – and this is definitely one of those.
When we raved about film There’s Nothing Like A Dame we never thought we’d see Dame Maggie tread the boards again but she returns to London for the 1st time in 12 years in a new one-woman play called A German Life based on the actual testimony of Brunhilde Pomsel, who once worked for Joseph Goebbels. Runs 6/4 to 11/5/19. Tickets The Downton Abbey film is expected to be released in September.
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.
We awarded 13 monstas for the best pop, theatre, TV and film of 2017 in December – and here we look at the cream of 2018 so far and what’s to come. James McAvoy, George Mackay and Andrew Scott are previous winners in this category.
WORTH A LOOK?: *****
WHERE: National Theatre (Olivier)
WHEN: 26/5, press night 30/5, runs to 11/8/18
RUN TIME: 2 hours 35 minutes (including interval)
Brian Friel’s 1980 masterpiece Translations is set in Ireland in 1833 and is about the power of language as the English seek to map the country so they can better tax its people.
Our favourite venue marks its bicentenary with events around the 11/5/18 weekend including an open house, street party, variety night headlined by the Olivier Award-nominated Atim, who starred in Girl From The North Country here last year, and ball. We shortlisted Atim for our 2016 monsta for Best Theatre Actress for her star turn in the all-women Shakespeare Trilogy and she won our 2017 Best Performance Of A Song (see below). We’ve loved how Matthew Warchus has transformed the OV with an emphasis on gig theatre, family entertainment and work with messages. Tickets
monstagigz 