Royal Court Theatre

THEATRE REVIEW: Bluets starring Ben Whishaw & Emma D’Arcy at the Royal Court

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By Aline Mahrud

WORTH A LOOK?: ***

WHEN?: Saturday 18 May 2024, opens 24 May and runs through 29 June 2024 RUNTIME: 80 minutes (no interval)

Whishaw is perhaps best known as the voice of Paddington bear or the face of Q in the Bond films and last trod London’s theatre boards in Julius Caesar at the Bridge Theatre in 2018.

  • Read on for reasons including why this is a a cult piece with the occasional laugh which many may find absorbing yet offputting
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THEATRE REVIEW: BLACK SUPERHERO starring Lewis Brown, Dyllon Burnside & Rochenda Sandall at Royal Court Theatre

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Aline Mahrud

WORTH A LOOK?: ***

WHEN?: Saturday 22 April (matinee), running to 29 April 2023 RUNTIME: 130 minutes (including a 20-minute interval)

Leading man Lewis Brown took over from writer/star Danny Lee Wynter midway through this run after the creator withdrew for personal reasons and it’s all credit to this production that you could never tell.

  • Read on for reasons including how we’re looking forward to playwright Wynter’s next role and written work
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AWARDS: MONSTAS: Best New Play of 2020 so far

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We awarded 14 monstas for the best pop, theatre, TV and film of 2019 in December – and here we look at the cream of 2020 so far and what’s to come. Temple, Oddshaped Balls, The Ferryman, The Inheritance and Appropriate are previous winners in this category.

  • Read on for our top 3 best new plays of 2020 so far and our hopes for the next three months

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THEATRE REVIEW: Shoe Lady starring Katherine Parkinson at the Royal Court

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK?: ***

WHERE? Royal Court (Jerwood Theatre Downstairs) RUNTIME: 65 minutes (no interval)

WHEN? 14/2 (matinee), runs to 21/3/20

Author E V Crowe is a graduate of the Royal Court Young Writers Programme ‘super group’ and here tells the story of working mother Viv who loses a shoe on her way to work as an estate agent as her life begins to unravel.

  • Read on for reasons including how The IT Crowd‘s Parkinson needs to be at her most engaging here

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THEATRE REVIEW: On Bear Ridge starring Rhys Ifans, Rakie Ayola, Jason Hughes & Sion Daniel Young at the Royal Court

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK?: ***

WHERE? Royal Court Theatre RUNTIME: 85 minutes (no interval)

WHEN? 26/10, press night 28/10, runs to 23/11/19

Owners John Daniel and Noni  are not leaving their isolated shop on Bear Ridge despite the lack of custom and instead are reminiscing about the times when people were not divided and used the old language.

  • Read on for reasons including why monstagigz favourite Sion Daniel Young shines here

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THEATRE REVIEW: The Cane starring Nicola Walker, Maggie Steed & Alun Armstrong

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK?: ***

WHERE? Royal Court RUN TIME: 100 minutes (no interval)

WHEN?: 29/12 (matinee), runs to 26/1/19

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time returned recently to the West End and it was for her part in the original production that Nicola Walker (who we last saw in A View From The Bridge in 2015) won a Best Supporting Actress Olivier.

  • Read on for reasons including why Walker’s interrogative qualities honed on TV are well realised here

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FILM PREMIERE & Q&A: The Pass starring Russell Tovey

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WORTH A LOOK? *****

WHERE: Odeon Leicester Square

WHEN: 16/3

‘Being gay is not an option’ laments Russell Tovey’s closeted Premiership footballer unforgettably in his new film The Pass which opened the BFI’s 30th LGBT Flare season.

Read on for our full Q&A and review of The Pass at the opening of the BFI’s Flare season

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MONSTAS SHORTLIST: New play of the year: 2016

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It’s almost Christmas and what would the festive season be without some recognition of the best of 2016? Over the next fortnight we’ll shortlist five nominees in each of 12 categories for our Oscars, or monstas if you will, of 2016.

  • Read on for nominees for the monsta for new play of the year. 2015 winner: Temple (Donmar)

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THEATRE REVIEW: Pigs and Dogs starring Fisayo Akinade, Sharon D. Clarke & Alex Hassell

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK?: ***

WHERE: Royal Court

WHEN 20/7 to 30/7

Escaped Alone was Caryl Churchill’s last play at the Royal Court and was memorable not least for its 50-minute run time.

  • Read on for why brevity is the next big thing in theatre

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THEATRE REVIEW: Hangmen

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK?: ***1/2

WHERE: Wyndham’s Theatre

WHEN: 15/12, runs to 5/3/16

What did hangmen do after the abolition of capital punishment in England in 1964? That’s the brilliant idea at the heart of Martin McDonagh’s new play although its, ahem, execution could be more compelling.

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