Marina

ALBUM OF THE MONTH/GIG REVIEW: Ancient Dreams In A Modern Land by MARINA (June 2021)

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WORTH A LOOK?: ****

RELEASED: 11 June 2021

TRACKLIST: Ancient Dreams In A Modern Land; Venus Fly Trap; Man’s World; Purge The Poison; Highly Emotional People; New America; Pandora’s Box; I Love You But I Love Me More; Flowers; Goodbye

GIG SETLIST (13 June 2021) Ancient Dreams In A Modern Land; Venus Fly Trap; Purge The Poison; Froot; Man’s World; Highly Emotional People; Blue; New America; I Am Not A Robot; Pandora’s Box; To Be Human; How To Be A Heartbreaker; Bubblegum Bitch; I Love You But I Love Me More; Goodbye

If Kate Bush had given birth to a daughter rather than a son in 1998 and she had gone on to make records, one suspects they would have sounded like this 5th collection from Welsh singer/songwriter/musician/producer Marina Lambrini Diamandis.

  • Read on for reasons including what went down at the album launch show available online on Sunday 13 June
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PREVIEW: 9 reasons why we can’t wait for June 2021 starring Constellations

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  1. Constellations starring Sheila Atim

We saw the original production of Nick Payne’s awards-garlanded two-hander in the West End starring Rafe Spall and Sally Hawkins in 2012. It was little surprise that this tale of a couple meeting with repeat scenes and meditations on multiple universes should also find Broadway acclaim with Jake Gyllenhaal and Ruth Wilson and now it is ripe for return with original director Michael Longhurst. Opening on 18 June 2021 at the Vaudeville Theatre with Atim (Othello, Globe)) and Ivanno Jeremiah, couples will also include Russell Tovey (Angels In America, National Theatre) and Omari Douglas (Channel 4’s It’s A Sin). Tickets

  • Read on for reasons including In The Heights, Hairspray, Cinderella and Be More Chill
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SONG OF THE WEEK: Purge The Poison by MARINA (week beginning 4 May 2021)

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WORTH A LOOK?: ****

RELEASED: 12 April 2021

MARINA’s trademark operatic vocals are much in evidence here as she imagines what Mother Nature might make of Covid-19: ‘Virus come, fires burn until human beings learn from every disaster, you are not my master’.

  • Read on for reasons including everything we know about June album Ancient Dreams In A Modern Land
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GIG REVIEW: Marina at Eventim Apollo

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WORTH A LOOK?: ***1/2

WHERE? Eventim Apollo

WHEN? 4/11, tour runs to 18/11/19

SETLIST: Handmade Heaven; Hollywood; Primadonna; Enjoy Your Life; I Am Not A Robot; To Be Human; Superstar; From; Orange Trees; Teen Idle; Believe In Love; Bubblegum Bitch; Emotional Machine; I’m Not Hungry Anymore; No More Suckers; Karma; Oh No; Baby: End Of the Earth; How To Be A Heartbreaker

We last saw Marina at a Q&A in London in April where she talked about her artistic freedom and so we’re not entirely surprised when at the close of tonight’s gig she drops a bombshell.

  • Read on for reasons including why this was Marina’s ‘perfect last show for me for a while’

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PREVIEW: 9 reasons why we can’t wait for November 2019 starring James McAvoy as Cyrano de Bergerac

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  1. James McAvoy stars in Cyrano de Bergerac in the West End

McAvoy won our inaugural Best Theatre Actor monsta in 2015 for The Ruling Class and reunites with director Jamie Lloyd for this take on Cyrano de Bergerac running at the Playhouse 27/11 through 29/2/20. Tickets  McAvoy also stars in BBC1’s His Dark Materials from 3/11/19 and you can read our Q&A with cast and author.

  • Read on for reasons including & Juliet, Alphabeat, Ella Henderson and Greenwich pantomime

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AWARDS: MONSTAS: Our Best Album Of 2019 so far

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We awarded 14 monstas for the best pop, theatre, TV and film of 2018 in December – and here we look at the cream of 2019 so far and what’s to come. Florence and The Machine’s How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful, Lady Gaga’s Joanne, Lorde’s Melodrama and Saara Aalto’s Wild, Wild Wonderland are previous winners in this category.

  • Read on for our top 5 best albums of 2019 so far and our hopes for the next three months

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ALBUM OF THE MONTH: Love + Fear by Marina (May 2019)

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WORTH A LOOK?: ****

OUT: 26/4/19

TRACKLIST: Handmade Heaven; Superstar; Orange Trees; Baby; Enjoy Your Life; True; To Be Human; End Of The Earth; Believe In Love; Life Is Strange; You; Karma; Emotional Machine; Too Afraid; No More Suckers; Soft To Be Strong

Earlier this year we were at a Q&A with Marina in London about her 4th album, the 1st since 2015’s Froot.

  • Read on for reasons including why To Be Human is the key track here

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Q&A: Marina with Professor Tanya Byron on album Love + Fear at The School Of Life

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WHERE? Emmanuel Centre, London

WHEN: 5/4/19

A mother sitting next to her bullied son thanks Marina on his behalf for replying to his letter to the pop star with words of courage, kindness and inspiration.

  • Read on for reasons including how a couple fell in love thanks to their shared admiration of Marina’s music

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