By Aline Mahrud
WHEN? Saturday 19 July 2025 RUNTIME: 135 minutes (including a 20-minute interval)
Writers Jim Barne and Kit Buchan are best known for musical Two Strangers (Carry A Cake Across New York) which won our 2023 Best New Musical monsta.
Emmy and Tony Award-winner Hayes makes his London debut and plays the hottest late night talk show host in 1958 in this Broadway transfer to the Barbican. Runs 100 minutes without interval 31 July through 21 September 2025. Tickets Review
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK?: **** RUNTIME: 110 minutes (with interval)
WHEN?: Saturday 24 May (matinee), runs through 14 June 2025
Russell is a singing student with cropped bleached blond hair who returns to his north-east home in the 80s where his single mother calls the local priest to exorcise her son’s demons.
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK?: ***
WHEN? Saturday 5 April, opens 10 April and runs through 17 May 2025 RUNTIME: 150 minutes (including 20-minute interval)
The triple Oscar-winning 1969 film about the unlikely friendship between a male prostitute and his business partner played by Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman is perhaps not the 1st candidate to spring to mind to become a stage musical.
Ms Minogue’s Tension show arrives in London for 4 gigs at The 02 this and next month as part of a world tour which runs through 26 August 2025. Tickets We 1st saw her live on the Enjoy Yourself tour at London’s now-no-more London Arena in 1990 and have seen her since at the old Wembley Arena, Eventim Apollo Hammersmith, new Wembley Arena and many times at The 02 – but not since 2014. Our review
Rotherham-born Rebecca Lucy Taylor starred in Cabaret at The Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre in London’s West End but is perhaps best known as pop star Self Esteem for last album Prioritise Pleasure, in 2021 an album of the month for us. She debuts 3rd album A Complicated Woman at gigs we join her for in London’s West End this month. Tickets are return only. Album out 25 April 2025 Our song of the month is new single 69. Our review of the gig and review of the album
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK?: ***
WHEN?: Saturday 2 November (matinee), runs through 23 November 2024 RUNTIME: 130 minutes (including a 20-minute interval)
Settle (& Juliet, Shaftesbury Theatre) plays Miss Coddle, a new character created for the film Wicked released later this month and she’s by some distance the best reason to catch this new musical at this 300-seater venue.
You, dear reader, are given the chance to vote in 17 categories from October this year to tell us your favourite theatre, music, TV, film and podcast of 2024.
We last saw Whishaw at the Royal Court (Bluets) and here he stars opposite Lucian Msamati (Talking Heads, Bridge Theatre) in the Beckett classic at the Theatre Royal Haymarket from 13 September through 14 December 2024. Tickets
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHEN?: Friday 29 March 2024, runs through 20 April 2024 RUNTIME: 135 minutes (including a 20-minute interval)
Film franchise The Naked Gun is probably the closest touchstone for this 80s, US-set musical co-written by Ben Adams (Eugenius, Turbine Theatre) from A1 and Subwoolfer.
