It’s Christmas and what would the festive season be without some recognition of the best of 2017? Over the next few days we’ll shortlist five nominees in each of 13 categories for our Oscars, or monstas if you will, of 2017.
Kathy Burke (whose The Retreat at the Park Theatre earlier this year was lots of fun) directs Jennifer Saunders in this Oscar Wilde play for Dominic Dromgoole’s Classic Spring theatre company as a follow-up to his delightful A Woman Of No Importance. Runs 12/1 to 7/4 at the Vaudeville Theatre. Tickets
Imelda Staunton made our Best Theatre Actress of 2017 shortlist so far for Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf and stars here at the National with Tracie Bennett and Janie Dee in the Sondheim classic (which features Losing My Mind, see below). Runs 22/8 through 3/1/18. Picture courtesy National Theatre. Tickets
We awarded 12 monstas for the best pop, theatre, TV and film of 2016 in December – and here we look at the cream of 2017 so far and what’s to come. Sheridan Smith and Jade Anouka are previous winners in this category.
Read on for our top 5 best theatre actresses of 2017 so far and our hopes for the next half year
WORTH A LOOK?: **
WHERE: Theatre Royal Haymarket
WHEN: 24/3, runs to 27/5
Click-thump. The audience at this first preview starts leaving and tipping up their chairs, in very small, but regular, trickles around the middle of act two.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHERE: Harold Pinter Theatre
WHEN: 24/2, runs to 27/5
It’s 2am and the wife of a university lecturer has invited a younger couple back to their home for some after party drinks.
Europe’s premiere Eurovision selection show launches on 4/2 at 7pm English time with the return of 1999 winner Charlotte Perrelli, who also won Melodifestivalen in 2008, MF favourites Ace Wilder, Dinah Nah and Boris Rene. 2012 Eurovision winner Loreen also competes in heat 4 25/2. Prime-time Saturday nights in February sorted. Picture via YouTube from the Take Me To Your Heaven performance in 1999’s Eurovision.
WORTH A LOOK?: ***
WHERE: Harold Pinter Theatre
WHEN: 26/12, booking to 16/4/16
We weren’t counting but there seemed to be at least 30 Kinks’ songs featured in this jukebox musical including the title track, Waterloo Sunset, Days, You Really Got Me, Lola and All Day and All Of The Night.
