WORTH A LOOK?: ****1/2
WHEN?: Saturday 11 September, opens 18 September, runs to 30 October 2021
RUNTIME: 90 minutes (no interval)
Playwright Bess Wohl penned this play last summer during the pandemic while staying outside New York as Donald Trump’s presidential re-election campaign kicked into gear.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHEN?: 5/12/20 (matinee), runs to 16/1/21
WHERE?: Bridge Theatre RUNTIME: 90 minutes (no interval)
There’s something quietly moving about how the Bridge Theatre, more than any other venue we can think of, has opened during this pandemic. It did close its doors but for nowhere near as long as other venues, offering performers work at a time when it was scarce and audiences escape when it was most needed.
There are at least 2 other A Christmas Carols in London this festive season but we have chosen this 1 because Russell Beale is always good value and Ferran is an Olivier Best Actress award-winner. Runs 27/11 through 16/1/21. Tickets UPDATE: The 2nd lockdown means this run will now start on 3/12/20
WORTH A LOOK?: ***
WHERE? Almeida Theatre RUNTIME: 2 hours and 55 minutes (including a 15-minute interval)
WHEN? 13/4, opens 16/4, runs to 1/6/19
We were in the audience on Sunday night at the Royal Albert Hall when Patsy Ferran (pictured left above) deservedly won the Best Actress Olivier Award for Summer And Smoke.
When we raved about film There’s Nothing Like A Dame we never thought we’d see Dame Maggie tread the boards again but she returns to London for the 1st time in 12 years in a new one-woman play called A German Life based on the actual testimony of Brunhilde Pomsel, who once worked for Joseph Goebbels. Runs 6/4 to 11/5/19. Tickets The Downton Abbey film is expected to be released in September.
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.
WORTH A LOOK?: ***
WHERE: Almeida Theatre
WHEN: 3/3, press night 7/3, runs to 7/4/18
UPDATE: Summer And Smoke transfers to the Duke Of York’s 10/11/18 to 19/1/19 Tickets
Last year saw two acclaimed Tennessee Williams revivals in London (the Young Vic’s Cat On A Hot Tin Roof and The Glass Menagerie at the Duke Of York’s) and his Summer And Smoke is less well known for a reason.
Postponed from October due to health reasons, the world’s greatest pop star drops by for two nights at The 02 this month. Her last album Joanne won our monsta for Best Album in 2016. Tickets Her new film A Star Is Born is out in May.
WORTH A LOOK?: ***
WHERE: Royal Court, Jerwood Theatre Upstairs
WHEN: 17/1, runs to 20/1/18
PR turned playwright Anoushka Warden was working in the Royal Court press office when her 75-minute monologue came to the venue’s attention.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHERE: Trafalgar Studios 2
WHEN: 2/3 (matinee), runs to 1/4
We’re mulling over the breaking story of the audience being banned from eating in Imelda Staunton’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? when a group of uniformed schoolchildren walk in and their teacher hands out a giant bag of popcorn, which they share before curtain up.
monstagigz 