Southwark Playhouse

PREVIEW: 9 reasons why we can’t wait for December 2020 starring Palladium pantomime

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  1. Palladium pantomime starring Julian Clary and Beverley Knight

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.

  • Read on for reasons including Death Drop, Cinderella by Jodie Prenger and Ma Rainey
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AWARDS SHORTLIST: MONSTAS: Best Venue of 2020

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It’s been quite the year, it’s almost Christmas and what would the festive season be without some recognition of the best of 2020? Over the next month we’ll shortlist five nominees in each of 14 categories for our Oscars, or monstas if you will, of 2020.

  • Read on for 5 nominees for the monsta for best venue of the year. 2019 winner: The Old Vic , 2018: Bush Theatre

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THEATRE REVIEW: The Last Five Years starring Oli Higginson and Molly Lynch at Southwark Playhouse

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WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHERE?: Southwark Playhouse RUNTIME: 90 minutes (no interval)

WHEN?: 6/10/20 (matinee), runs to 14/11/20 UPDATE: This production streams here from 26 – 29/11/20 NEW UPDATE: This production transfers into the West End 17 September 2021 through 13 October 2021 Tickets

This production opened in March shortly before lockdown and has returned to this venue which has added Perspex screens between groups in the audience.

  • Read on for reasons including to watch two clips of songs from the show

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THEATRE REVIEW: Before After starring Rosalie Craig and Hadley Fraser at the Southwark Playhouse

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WORTH A LOOK?: ***

WHERE?: Southwark Playhouse

WHEN?: 26/9 (matinee) closes 26/9/20

Hadley Fraser and Rosalie Craig are a real-life husband and wife and their easy chemistry is the best thing about this story of a relationship told both before and after a life-changing event.

  • Read on for reasons including how to watch productions from this venue even while it is closed for performances

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PREVIEW: 9 reasons why we can’t wait for September 2020 starring Talking Heads

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  1. Talking Heads at the Bridge starring Monica Dolan and Imelda Staunton

Alan Bennett’s original series of monologues aired on BBC1 in 1988 to much acclaim with a second season debuting on the same channel a decade later. Two new scripts were written for a third BBC1 series in 2020 during which 10 of the originals were remade. To celebrate, the Bridge Theatre stages eight of the latest 12 in four pairs beginning 7/9 and running to 31/10 starring two winners of our Best Theatre Actress monsta Monica Dolan and Imelda Staunton. Tickets

  • Read on for reasons including Sara Pascoe at the Greenwich Comedy Festival, Andrew Scott and new Hurts 

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THEATRE REVIEW: Afterglow starring Jesse Fox, Sean Hart & Danny Mahoney at the Southwark Playhouse

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WORTH A LOOK?: ***

WHERE? Southwark Playhouse RUNTIME: 90 minutes

WHEN? 8/6 (matinee), opened 11/6, runs to 20/7/2019

Married couple Josh and Alex have invited Darius into the bed at their present-day New York apartment and we join them during their noisy naked threesome as the play opens.

  • Read on for reasons including how this play with an onstage shower found its US audience

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PREVIEW: 9 reasons why we can’t wait for May 2019

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  1. Death Of A Salesman starring Sharon D.Clarke and Arinze Kene

D. Clarke (pictured 2nd from right, top) won our Best Actress monsta last year as well as the Olivier for Best Actress In A Musical for her star turn in Caroline, Or Change and is here directed by Marianne Elliott (pictured left in video, hot from Company) and appears alongside Arinze Kene (winner of our Best Actor monsta for Misty and far left in the picture). Their revival of the Arthur Miller classic runs 1/5 through 29/6 at the Young Vic. Review. Tickets

  • Read on for reasons including Madonna, Eurovision, Anne-Marie Duff, Faye Tozer and Oti Mabuse

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AWARDS: MONSTAS: Our best new musical of 2018 so far

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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. Funny Girl, Groundhog Day and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie are previous winners in this category.

  • Read on for our top 5 best musicals of 2018 so far and our hopes for the next half year

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THEATRE REVIEW: The Rink starring Caroline O’Connor & Gemma Sutton at Southwark Playhouse

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WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHERE: Southwark Playhouse

WHEN: 25/5/18, press night 29/5, runs to 23/6/18

RUN TIME: 2 hours and 20 minutes (with interval)

Liza Minnelli and Chita Rivera starred in the original Broadway production of this Kander and Ebb (Chicago and Cabaret) musical and we wonder whether they had as much fun with it as Caroline O’Connor and Gemma Sutton do here.

  • Read on for reasons including how this 1st preview deserved its standing ovation

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PREVIEW: 9 reasons why we can’t wait for May

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  1. Sheila Atim headlines Old Vic 200th birthday

Our favourite venue marks its bicentenary with events around the 11/5/18 weekend including an open house, street party, variety night headlined by the Olivier Award-nominated Atim, who starred in Girl From The North Country here last year, and ball. We shortlisted Atim for our 2016 monsta for Best Theatre Actress for her star turn in the all-women Shakespeare Trilogy and she won our 2017 Best Performance Of A Song (see below). We’ve loved how Matthew Warchus has transformed the OV with an emphasis on gig theatre, family entertainment and work with messages. Tickets

  • Read on for reasons including Eurovision, Tears For Fears, Sir Ian McKellen  and Girls Aloud

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