Josh O’Connor

FILM OF THE MONTH: The History Of Sound starring Paul Mescal & Josh O’Connor (January 2026)

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: *****

WHEN? Tuesday 6 January, released in the UK Friday 23 January 2026 RUNTIME: 128 minutes

It’s the gift of Paul Mescal’s singer Lionel to ‘see’ sound that compels him to seek out Josh O’Connor’s musician David as the latter sits at a piano playing a rare folk song familiar to both men.

  • Read on for reasons including how this is a melancholic, quietly understated film which will eventually be regarded as a classic
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PREVIEW: 9 reasons why we can’t wait for January 2026 starring The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

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  1. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

Passenger wrote the music and lyrics for this adaptation of the novel at Theatre Royal Haymarket starring The Full Monty‘s Mark Addy and Jenna Russell (Hello Dolly! London Palladium) running 29 January through 18 April 2026. It’s the story of a man who receives a letter from a long-lost friend and walks from Devon to Berwick-upon-Tweed. Tickets

  • Read on for reasons including American Psycho, I’m Sorry Prime Minister and The History Of Sound
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PREVIEW: 9 reasons why we can’t wait for September 2025 starring Entertaining Mr Sloane

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

  1. Entertaining Mr Sloane at Young Vic Theatre

Rizzle Kick Jordan Stephens makes his theatre debut opposite Tamzin Outhwaite (Stepping Out, Vaudeville Theatre) in this revival of the classic Joe Orton comedy. Runs at the Young Vic Theatre 15 September through 8 November 2025. Tickets Our review

  • Read on for reasons including Stephen Fry in Oscar Wilde, new Divine Comedy and Suede LPs
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FILM REVIEW: Challengers starring Zendaya, Josh O’Connor & Mike Faist

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ***

Perhaps the most extraordinary thing about this story of a love (match) triangle with a tennis backdrop is that its screenplay was written by Justin Kuritzkes whose wife Celine Song was nominated for a Best Original Screenplay Oscar for Past Lives, our film of 2023.

  • Read on for reasons including its success in making tennis riveting and occasionally raunchy
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FILM REVIEW: Romeo & Juliet starring Josh O’Connor & Jessie Buckley

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WORTH A LOOK?: *****

WHEN?: 9pm Sunday 4 April 2021

WHERE?: Sky Arts

RUNTIME: 90 minutes

When the National Theatre announced that Josh O’Connor and Jessie Buckley were set to star in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet at the venue in summer 2020, it was set to be 1 of the season’s highlights.

  • Read on for reasons including how a gay couple played by Fisayo Akinade and Shubham Saraf are crucial to the tragedy
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9 reasons why we can’t wait for April 2021 starring the return of the Blow Monkeys

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

  1. Blow Monkeys release More Than A Miracle

It’s not easy being a band with a 40-year history that wants to write new material when the fans are familiar with hits as glorious as Digging Your Scene, It Doesn’t Have To Be This Way and Wait. The trick is to write material as memorable as the songs that broke you and the Blow Monkeys played a blinder with Time Storm, a song of the week for us last year. The follow-up More Than A Miracle out 16/4/21 is in a similar vein, doesn’t disappoint and sits well with the best of the band’s back catalogue. Album Journey To You follows in September. Tickets are on sale for UK dates in October including a London gig at 229. Read our interview with Dr Robert on this site in April.

  • Read on for reasons including Romeo And Juliet starring Josh O’Connor and Jessie Buckley
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TV REVIEW: The Crown starring Olivia Colman, Helena Bonham Carter, Erin Doherty, Emma Corrin & Gillian Anderson

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK?: *****

WHERE?: Netflix from 15/11/20

There can be few women more associated with the 80s than Princess Diana and Margaret Thatcher – they are so iconic that it was always going to be difficult to know how one of the most popular series on TV would cope with their arrival.

  • Read on for reasons including how Emma Corrin and Gillian Anderson do in the Diana and Margaret roles

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PREVIEW: 9 reasons why we can’t wait for July 2020 starring I May Destroy You

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  1. I May Destroy You continues

Box sets and binge watching have highlighted how much brilliant TV there currently is but this series, written, co-directed and starring Michaela Coel has actually benefitted from a dripfeed release of 2 30-minute episodes per week. Give it a chance because we really weren’t sure about it until episodes 5 and 6 (aired in the UK Monday 22/6 and Tuesday 23/6/20) which drew on some rather complicated strands and pulled them tight to devastating effect. There’s 6 episodes to go and all are aired on the next 3 Mondays and Tuesdays on BBC1 and available at BBC iPlayer. We should’ve known it would be good because we last saw Coel dancing on stage at one of our favourite gigs.

  • Read on for reasons including new Rufus and The Streets albums and the return of Like 1999

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AWARDS SHORTLIST: MONSTAS: Best TV/Film Actor of 2019

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

It’s almost Christmas and what would the festive season be without some recognition of the best of 2019? Over the next week we’ll shortlist five nominees in each of 14 categories for our Oscars, or monstas if you will, of 2019.

  • Read on for nominees for the monsta for best TV/film actor of the year. 2018 winner: Hugh Grant for A Very English Scandal

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Q&A: Josh O’Connor at the BFI & Radio Times Television Festival

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WHERE? BFI & Radio Times Television Festival

WHEN? 13/4/19 The Durrells airs on ITV at 8pm on Sundays, finishing 12/5/19

Josh O’Connor plays Prince Charles in the next series of Netflix’s The Crown and if he met the royal he would want to compare ear stories.

  • Read on for reasons including what happened when O’Connor auditioned for the film version of Les Miserables

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