This seasonal favourite returns for its fourth outing starring Julian Clary, Paul O’Grady, Gary Wilmot, Nigel Havers, Paul Zerdin and new face Matt Baker. Tempted? Read our 2016, 2017 and 2018 reviews. Runs 7/12 to 12/1/20. Tickets
We awarded 14 monstas for the best pop, theatre, TV and film of 2018 in December – and here we look at the cream of 2019 so far and what’s to come. Florence and The Machine’s How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful, Lady Gaga’s Joanne, Lorde’s Melodrama and Saara Aalto’s Wild, Wild Wonderland are previous winners in this category.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
OUT: 8/3/19
TRACKLIST: Sucker Punch; Mine Right Now; Basic; Strangers; Don’t Feel Like Crying; Level Up; Sight Of You; In Vain; Don’t Kill My Vibe; Business Dinners; Never Mine; Dynamite
We 1st saw Sigrid live last year at the 02 Shepherd’s Bush Empire and it was album closer Dynamite which most stood out.
The Pinter at the Pinter season at the West End’s Harold Pinter Theatre has been hit and miss but it’s big finish stars Hiddleston and monstagigz favourite Ashton. Runs 5/3 to 1/6. We’ve reviewed Ashton at both the Old Vic and Trafalgar Studios in recent years. Tickets
It’s almost Christmas and what would the festive season be without some recognition of the best of 2018? Over the next month we’ll shortlist five nominees in each of 14 categories for our Oscars, or monstas if you will, of 2018.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
SETLIST: Sucker Punch; In Vain; Schedules; Plot Twist; Raw; High Five; Dynamite; I Don’t Want To Know; Fake Friends; Haunted; I Don’t Buy It; Savage In Our Blood; Go To War; Don’t Kill My Vibe; Focus; Credit; Strangers
WHEN?: 12/11/18
WHERE: O2 Brixton Academy
‘We need to hear that debut album – now’ we wrote when we last saw Sigrid in March at the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire and it is a sentiment that is much underscored tonight.
The Tony Award-winning Best Musical written by The Greatest Showman‘s Pasek and Paul arrives in the West End in autumn next year at the Noel Coward Theatre. We’ll be reviewing the show’s Broadway production this week (we’re on Broadway, baby!) for clues about what to expect in London. We’re already big fans of the soundtrack with our favourite song below. Sign up for notifications about the UK production. Broadway tickets
We awarded 13 monstas for the best pop, theatre, TV and film of 2017 in December – and here we look at the cream of 2018 so far and what’s to come. Suede, Shura and Bananarama are previous winners in this category.
Sacha Dhawan (pictured above) won our Best Film/TV Actor monsta last year for The Boy With the Topknot and is here reunited with playwright Alan Barnett and former History Boy Samuel Barnett in a play at the Bridge Theatre marking the 70th birthday of the NHS. Runs 11/7 to 28/9/18. Tickets
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHERE: O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire
WHEN: 14/3, UK tour runs to 24/8
SETLIST: Go To War; Plot Twist; Schedules; I Don’t Buy It; Raw; Savage In Our Blood; Doing You A Favour; Watch Me; Dynamite; In Vain; High Five; Fake Friends; Credit; Strangers; Don’t Kill My Vibe
We’re not here to kill 21-year-old Sigrid Raabe’s vibe but for her Scandipop bangers although it soon becomes clear that there’s much more to her than those.
