By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK?: ***
WHEN?: Tuesday 12 December, runs through 6 January 2024 RUNTIME: 70 minutes (no interval)
‘I’m not the world’s biggest fan of Christmas,’ confides Johnson at the start of this festive run of a show which is less jingle bells and more jingle hells.
We haven’t seen Branagh in the West End since The Kenneth Branagh Company’s year-long run of six plays at the Garrick Theatre closed in 2016 on its highest high with its star taking the lead in The Entertainer. Branagh also directs at the Wyndham’s Theatre 21 October through 9 December. Tickets Our recent Lears have included Sir Ian McKellen and the late Glenda Jackson. 1st preview review
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
RELEASED: Friday 7 May 2021
The 2nd single by the Clapham drag queen after her respectable showing in RuPaul’s Drag Race UK and this collaboration with Cahill finds Kofi on surer footing rather than her 1st, much darker effort.
Condragulations dear viewer – the combination of a musical theatre challenge and a ‘Ru-sical’ inspired by Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s Cats left us feline purr-fect.
The 2nd season of Drag Race UK started its engines this week and our one to watch from the 1st episode is Tayce (pictured above).
Pantomime at Christmas looked for a while like it might not happen but this seasonal showstopper returns with a familiar cast including star Julian Clary 12/12/20 to 3/1/21 Tickets We’ve seen it ever since it started in 2016 and it’s essentially a variety show with something for everyone. Here’s what we said in 2017, 2018 and last year.
It’s almost Christmas and what would the festive season be without some recognition of the best of 2019? Over the next month we’ll shortlist five nominees in each of 14 categories for our Oscars, or monstas if you will, of 2019.
WORTH A LOOK?: *****
OUT: now
Ladies – start your engines. We’re big fans of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK and so, when monstagigz favourite MNEK appeared to produce rival girl groups, we thought the results would be good but we weren’t quite prepared for two fabulous versions of a great original song.
WORTH A LOOK?: ***
WHERE? Dominion Theatre RUNTIME: 160 minutes (including 20-minute interval)
WHEN? 2/10, closes 2/11/19
Fans of TV’s Strictly Come Dancing are especially well served here by a former winner of the Saturday night ratings hit as the leading man and a finalist as his leading lady.
This unlikely reunion may have been over a quarter of a century in the making but Siobhan Fahey and Marcella Detroit have released three excellent, different yet complementary singles this year already, winning both our Song and Albums of the month. The 14-date UK reunion tour kicks off rather appropriately on Halloween and we join the band at the Palladium on Bonfire Night. Tickets
