reviews

ALBUM OF THE MONTH: Virgin by Lorde (July 2025)

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

Tracklist: Hammer; What Was That?; Shapeshifter; Man Of The Year; Favourite Daughter; Current Affairs; Clearblue; GRWM; Broken Glass; If She Could See Me …; David

Lorde debuted this new album in its entirety – in tracklist order – on the Woodsies stage as a surprise opening to this year’s Glastonbury Festival and that confidence is reflected in the material.

  • Read on for reasons including why Virgin represents a right turn towards a welcome songwriting maturity and honesty
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THEATRE REVIEW: Jamie Lloyd’s Evita starring Rachel Zegler at the London Palladium

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: *****

WHEN? Saturday 14 June, opens 27 June and runs through 6 September 2025 RUNTIME: 150 minutes (with a 20-minute interval)

Zegler may be best known currently as a film star (West Side Story and more recently Snow White) but that is all about to change as she is absolutely sensational in this debut London stage role.

  • Read on for reasons including why this is London’s must-see musical of the moment
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ALBUM OF THE WEEK: Princess Of Power by Marina (week beginning Tuesday 10 June 2025)

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK?: ***1/2

Tracklist: Princess Of Power; Butterfly; Cuntissimo; Rollercoaster; Cupid’s Girl; Metallic Stallion; Je Ne Sais Quoi; Digital Fantasy; Everybody Knows I’m Sad; Hello Kitty; I >3 You; Adult Girl; Final Boss

How To Be A Heartbreaker is 1 of Marina’s (formerly of And The Diamonds fame) best known hits and now she appears to have come full circle and released a break-up album.

  • Read on for reasons including how there’s plenty of the camp melodrama here that made Marina so popular with a gay audience
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SONG OF THE MONTH: Disintegrate by Suede (June 2025)

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

Lead singer Brett Anderson describes Suede’s new album Antidepressants as ‘broken music for broken people’ and this lead single wears its goth-flavoured punk influences defiantly.

  • Read on for reasons including how to see Suede in London this year
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THEATRE REVIEW: After The Act at the Royal Court Theatre

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

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.

  • Read on for reasons including how we wouldn’t recommend this as a musical but politically it’s a diverting watch
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THEATRE REVIEW: Cry-Baby the musical starring Adam Davidson at the Arcola Theatre

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

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.

  • Read on for reasons including why this production should transfer into the West End
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GIG REVIEW: Welly at Rough Trade East, London

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: *****

WHEN?: Sunday 23 March, tour runs through August 2025 Tickets

Setlist: Big In The Suburbs; Knock And Run; Soak Up The Culture; Shopping; Country Cousins; Life Is A Motorway; It’s Not Like This In France; Me And Your Mates

Debut album Big In The Suburbs has been in the world for less than 72 hours and we hear 3 songs from it tonight that we’ve not heard Welly play live before.

  • Read on for reasons including how things are just beginning for this band
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GIG REVIEW: Welly at Heartbreakers, Southampton

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Carron Stacey, A Humdrum Mum

WHEN?: Thursday 13 February, tour runs through 3 August 2025 with dates being added Tickets

I’ve reviewed these guys so many times, I don’t know how else to say “Go and see them!”

  • Read on for reasons including how Welly will sound Girls Aloud next album
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THEATRE REVIEW: Lavender, Hyacinth, Violet and Yew starring Omari Douglas at Bush Theatre

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

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.

  • Read on for reasons including how there’s a big heart at the root of the show that deserves nourishing
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PREVIEW: 9 reasons why we can’t wait for January 2025 starring Inside No 9

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

  1. Inside No 9 transfers to the West End from TV

You can vote for Steve Pemberton (The Pillowman, Duke Of York’s Theatre) and Reece Shearsmith’s (The Unfriend, Criterion Theatre) genius 9th and final TV series of Inside No 9 to win Best TV of 2024. The anthology show’s theatre incarnation Inside No 9 Stage/Fright arrives at the Wyndhams Theatre for a run 18 January through 5 April 2025. Tickets Our review

  • Read on for reasons including Rami Malek in Oedipus, Brie Larson in Elektra and new Severance
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