By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK?: *****
WHEN?: Saturday 25 November, runs through 7 January 2024 RUNTIME: 130 minutes (with a 20-minute interval)
‘Mirror, mirror on the wall – where is the greatest panto of them all?’
The 80s-set Netflix sci-fi series of the same name won our 2016 Best TV monsta and so we’re very much looking forward to its theatrical counterpart promising to turn back the clock to Hawkins in 1959 ‘before the world turned upside down’. Stranger Things: The First Shadow invites us to explore the history of Hawkins and the origins of some key characters. Runs at the Phoenix Theatre 17 November through 25 August 2024. Tickets Preview review
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK?: *****
WHEN?: Saturday 26 November (matinee), opens 2 December and runs to 8 January 2023 RUNTIME: 150 minutes (including a 20-minute interval)
There’s a new dynamic to this year’s annual Greenwich Theatre pantomime with the strongest performance we can ever remember from a leading man thanks to Dear Evan Hansen‘s David Breeds (pictured centre above).
Quinto (The Boys In The Band) is probably best known for his role as Spock in the rebooted Star Trek franchise and here plays Gore Vidal in the Young Vic production of this James (Ink, Almeida) Graham play opposite David Harewood as William F Buckley about the 1968 ATV TV debates. Runs at the Noel Coward Theatre 14 November through 18 February 2023. Tickets
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK?: ***1/2
WHEN?: Saturday 20 August 2022 (matinee), runs to 4 September 2022 RUNTIME: 135 minutes (including 20-minute interval)
We’re here because this venue describes this as ‘perfect for fans of the Greenwich Theatre pantomime’ and while there are lots of similarities that lightning hasn’t quite been captured in this (rum) bottle here – although it’s an apt description.
Frontman Neil Hannon celebrates 30 years of his band by performing 10 of his albums in full across this 5-night residency in the Barbican in central London. The run begins on 31 August and continues on successive nights until Sunday 4 September. We last saw the band at the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith in 2019 at a show which won our Best Gig monsta that year. Barbican residency review Tickets
WORTH A LOOK?: *****
WHEN?: Saturday 20 November, opens Friday 26 November and booking to 2 January 2022
RUNTIME: 130 minutes (including 20-minute interval)
The best bit of so many highlights in this hilarious, family-friendly pantomime is when 1 character movingly and delicately rebuffs the romantic advances of another to Dionne Warwick’s That’s What Friends Are For and, in a moment worthy of the very best of Morecambe and Wise, Pollard’s Queen Of Hearts breaks the spell with an atrocious harmonica solo in the instrumental break.
The West End’s Playhouse Theatre is being repurposed as the Kit Kat Club to stage director Rebecca Frecknall’s (Summer And Smoke, Almeida and West End) vision of this musical and movie classic with film stars Redmayne and Buckley (Romeo and Juliet, Sky Arts). Runs from 15 November 2021 and is currently booking to 16 April 2022. Tickets 1st preview review
We saw this Donmar production in its original home six years ago and the Cy Coleman/David Zippel musical evoking old Hollywood and film noir has a cast to die for. It includes the West End debut of former Girls Aloud member Nicola Roberts (and winner of ITV’s The Masked Singer) as well as Vanessa Williams, Rosalie Craig, Hadley Fraser and Theo James. Plays at the Garrick from 5/3 to 5/9. TicketsÂ
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.
monstagigz 