You, dear reader, are given the chance to vote in 17 categories from October this year to tell us your favourite theatre, music, TV, film and podcast of 2025.
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK?: ***1/2
WHEN? Wednesday 18 June, opens 24 June and runs through 26 July 2025 RUNTIME: 90 minutes (no interval)
Harrison David Rivers’ 2017 play This Bitter Earth is about an interracial gay couple in the US and their different attitudes to and experiences of activism as they seek to overcome the racism and prejudice they face.
Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre hosted Lloyd’s Evita in 2019 but we’re imagining this Palladium incarnation will be different starring as it does West Side Story‘s Zegler. We’re hoping it will be more Romeo And Juliet than Sunset Boulevard. Runs at the Palladium 14 June through 6 September 2025. Tickets Our review
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHEN?: Saturday 8 February, opens 13 February and runs through 22 March 2025 RUNTIME: 165 minutes (including a 20-minute interval)
Bush Emerging Writers’ Group alumni Coral Wylie (pictured above right) writes and stars as 19-year-old Pip who identifies as non-binary, has dropped out of education and feels misunderstood by their parents.
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
By Aline Mahrud
WORTH A LOOK?: ***
WHEN?: Saturday 8 April (matinee), runs through 5 August 2023 RUNTIME: 220 minutes (including a 20-minute interval)
It’s hard for us to appreciate the popularity of this play because it is based on a best-selling 2015 book by Hanya Yanigihara we’ve not read and stars a much in-demand actor we’re not especially a fan of.
Siobhan McSweeney (The Alchemist, Barbican Theatre) and Louisa Harland (Glass. Kill. Bluebeard. Imp, Royal Court) may be best known as Sister Michael and Orla McCool from Channel 4’s Derry Girls but here they reunite onstage with fellow cast member Ardal O’Hanlon in Brian Friel’s (Translations, National Theatre) 1936-set County Donegal tale of the Mundy sisters battling poverty to raise seven-year-old Michael and care for their uncle Jack. Runs 6 April through 27 May 2023. Tickets Review
WORTH A LOOK?: *****
Our sister sees a lot of West End musicals and so we take her to see this production of Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club and she later writes on Facebook: ‘I think it was possibly the best show I have ever seen.’
monstagigz readers have been voting throughout December for their favourite pop, theatre, TV, film and podcasts of 2021 from our shortlists. Read on for details of our 2021 monstas winners …
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We were at the 1st preview of Rebecca Frecknall’s reimagining of the Kander and Ebb classic musical starring Redmayne, Jessie Buckley and Omari Douglas in November. The production at the repurposed Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre is shortlisted for 3 monstas in our awards announced 30 December 2021. Cast change expected in March, we return to see it for a 3rd time (it’s that good and this time team monstagigz dining in the front row) in July and booking to 1 October 2022. Tickets
