By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK?: ***
WHEN?: Saturday 24 May, runs through 14 June 2025 RUNTIME: 120 minutes (includes a 20 minute interval)
At 6pm on Monday 23 May 1988 4 lesbians protesting against Section 28 invaded a BBC studio as Sue Lawley and Nicholas Witchell started presenting the Six O’Clock News.
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK?: ***
WHEN? Friday 25 April, opens 8 May and runs through 28 June 2025 RUNTIME: 150 minutes (with a 20-minute interval)
Sondheim, musical theatre’s Shakespeare, died in 2021 and when news emerged of this final new musical hopes were high that he might have saved his best for last.
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK?: *****
WHEN? Saturday 19 April (matinee), runs through 20 April 2025 Tickets for autumn gigs
Setlist: I Do And I Don’t Care; Mother; Lies; 69; You Forever; Logic Bitch; Prioritise Pleasure; Fucking Wizardry; The Curse; In Plain Sight; What Now; Cheers To Me; If Not Now, It’s Soon; Focus Is Power; I Do This All The Time; The Deep Blue Okay
Self Esteem urges us to keep our cameraphones on, ignore the ‘dusty old pervert vibes’ of this esteemed West End theatre and to get up out of our seats and dance if we want to.
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK?: ****1/2
WHEN? Saturday 12 April 2025 (matinee, last night)
Based on the 1990 John Waters film (BFI Q&A), this new musical with book by the writer of Hairspray which ran on Broadway in 2008 is brought spectacularly to life in the best production we’ve yet seen at this east London studio venue.
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHEN? Saturday 8 March, tour runs through 16 August 2025
SETLIST: Jupiter Drive; Gravity; Forever; Warning Signs; Hate The Way I Love You; Statements; I’m In It With You; Dreams; Coming Close; Euphoria; Is it Love?; Tattoo
It’s International Women’s Day and while Sweden is choosing its Eurovision entry for 2025 the only woman to have won the competition twice is performing in Barcelona as part of an extensive European tour that reaches the UK and Ireland for 8 dates later this month.
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK?: ****1/2 RUNTIME: 90 minutes
Culkin won a Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe and is nominated for an Oscar in the same category while his co-star Jesse Eisenberg who wrote and directed this quiet gem of a movie receives a similar Best Original Screenplay nod.
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK?: ***1/2
WHEN?: Friday 25 January 2025, opening 4 February and running through 29 March 2025 RUNTIME: 105 minutes (no interval)
There’s so much to rave about in this razor-sharp adaptation of this Greek tragedy containing a 1st stage performance in 18 years by Oscar winner Rami Malek (film Bohemian Rhapsody) but it’s too often left flatfooted by pointless techno dance breaks.
By Aline Mahrud
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHEN?: Friday 3 January, runs through 15 March 2025 Update: Extended through 31 May 2025 RUNTIME: 150 minutes (including a 20-minute interval)
Relocating F Scott Fitzgerald’s short story of a baby born as an elderly man and living his life backwards – best known as a 2008 film starring Brad Pitt – to the North Cornwall coast brings a community feel reminiscent of fellow musical Come From Away to this warm hug of a show.
monstagigz readers have been voting throughout October, November and December for their favourite pop, theatre, TV, film and podcasts of 2024 from our shortlists. Read on for details of our 2024 10th annual monstas winners …
It’s been quite the year, it’s almost Christmas and what would the festive season be without some recognition of the best of 2024? Over the next month we’ll shortlist five nominees in each of 17 categories for our 10th annual Oscars, or monstas if you will, of 2024.
