Jonathan Bailey

FILM REVIEW: Wicked: For Good starring Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande & Jonathan Bailey

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By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: *****

WHEN? 21 November 2025 on its day of release RUNTIME: 137 minutes

Wicked (Part 1) was a 5-star hit because it built on the beloved Act 1 of a classic musical giving it the visual flair and world-building that only cinema can with a superstar cast.

  • Read on for reasons including how this is the satisfying conclusion to a tale which speaks to our lives now set up beautifully by its magical 1st film
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THEATRE REVIEW: Richard II starring Jonathan Bailey at Bridge Theatre

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By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHEN?: Monday 10 February, opens 18 February and runs through 10 May 2025 RUNTIME: 160 minutes (with a 20-minute interval)

Bailey is perhaps best known as Fiyero in film Wicked, nominated for 10 Oscars on 2 March, although we have previously reviewed him in Shakespeare (King Lear, Chichester Festival Theatre) but never as the leading man.

  • Read on for reasons including the parallels between Fiyero and Richard II and how this accessible production could be your gateway to Shakespeare
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9 reasons why we can’t wait for February 2025 starring Jonathan Bailey as Richard II

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

  1. Jonathan Bailey is Richard II

Bailey (film Wicked and COCK, Ambassadors) stars in this Shakespeare directed by Nicholas Hytner (Giant, Royal Court and transferring to the Harold Pinter Theatre) at the Bridge Theatre. Runs 10 February through 10 May 2025 Tickets Our review

  • Read on for reasons including Cate Blanchett, Patti LuPone, Olly Alexander and Nicola Walker
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ALBUM OF THE MONTH: Wicked (Part 1) by cast including Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande (December 2024)

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

Tracklist: No One Mourns the Wicked; Dear Old Shiz; The Wizard And I; What Is This Feeling?; Something Bad; Dancing Through Life; Popular; I’m Not That Girl; One Short Day; A Sentimental Man; Defying Gravity

Splitting the theatrical musical of Wicked into 2 movies was a controversial but genius decision.

  • Read on for reasons including how this soundtrack album surpasses expectations
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PREVIEW: 9 reasons why we can’t wait for November 2024 starring Ncuti Gatwa

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

  1. Ncuti Gatwa stars in The Importance Of Being Earnest

‘A handbag …?’ New Doctor Who Gatwa stars alongside Best Theatre Actress monsta winner Sharon D Clarke (Caroline, Or Change?, Hampstead Theatre and TV’s Lost Boys and Fairies) and Hugh Skinner (The Trial, Young Vic and film Wicked Little Letters) in Max Webster’s (Minority Report, Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith) production of the Oscar Wilde classic comedy at the National Theatre’s Lyttelton Theatre 20 November through 25 January 2025. Tickets Vote for Doctor Who to win Best TV of 2024. Our Earnest review

  • Read on for reasons including the Greenwich pantomime, The Producers and the Steps musical
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AWARDS SHORTLIST: MONSTAS: Best Theatre Actor of 2022

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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.

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(not a) THEATRE REVIEW: Cock starring Jonathan Bailey, Taron Egerton, Jade Anouka & Phil Daniels

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Neil Durham

WHERE?: Ambassadors Theatre, London

WHEN?: Saturday 5 March, booking to 4 June 2022 RUNTIME: Usually 105 minutes (no interval)

We’re at the 1st preview of this Mike Bartlett revival and 90 minutes in Egerton faints onstage, a doctor is called from the audience and the curtain goes down for 40 minutes.

  • Read on for reasons including how Egerton is due back onstage to perform this on Monday 7 March
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PREVIEW: 9 reasons why we can’t wait for March starring Jonathan Bailey, Taron Egerton & Jade Anouka in Cock

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

  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
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AWARDS: Winners of the 2018 monstas are …

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2018’s Best Theatre Actress

  • Sharon D. Clarke in Caroline, Or Change at Hampstead Theatre, now Playhouse Theatre Review Tickets   Lot’s Wife
  • Picture courtesy Caroline, or Change – West End

Screen Shot 2018-12-27 at 16.04.10

  • Read on for reasons including the remaining 13 theatre, pop, film & TV winners

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MONSTAS SHORTLIST: Best Performance of a song: 2018

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

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 Best Performance of a song. 2017 winner: Tight Connection To My Heart by Sheila Atim (Girl From The North Country, Old Vic)

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