Our most read content of 2024 was this preview review of the West End debut of Alien star Weaver in Jamie Lloyd’s take on Shakespeare’s The Tempest which runs at Theatre Royal Drury Lane until 1 February 2025. Tickets
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK?: ***1/2
WHEN?: Monday 9 December 2024, opens 17 December and runs through 1 February 2025 RUNTIME: 135 minutes (including a 20-minute interval)
We’ve certainly had the recent windy weather to fully appreciate the timing of this much looked-forward-to production starring Storm Sigourney.
Weaver who starred in the original Alien movies but not this year’s fine newcomer to the franchise Alien: Romulus makes her West End debut as Prospero in this Jamie Lloyd (Romeo and Juliet, Duke Of York’s Theatre) version of The Tempest which we’ve previously seen starring Simon Russell Beale at the Barbican in 2017. Will it be ‘such stuff as dreams are made?’ Runs at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane 7 December through 1 February 2025. Tickets Our review
WORTH A LOOK?: ***
WHERE: Barbican Theatre
WHEN: 30/6, runs to 18/8
Simon Russell Beale is one of the finest actors of his generation and therefore it’s curious that he should choose to return to the Royal Shakespeare Company after 20 years in something quite so overcooked.
We awarded 12 monstas for the best pop, theatre, TV and film of 2016 in December – and here we look at the cream of 2017 so far and what’s to come. James McAvoy and George Mackay are previous winners in this category.
This year will be our fourth Glastonbury in a row and, although there’s far too much to be excited about to list here, we’d probably pick our first Emeli Sandé gig as the thing we’re most enthused by at the sold-out event which runs from 22/6 to 25/6. Katy Perry’s new album Witness is out 9/6 and Lorde’s Melodrama 16/6 and they both also feature.
2016’s Best Musical
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.
WORTH A LOOK?: *****
WHERE: Donmar at King’s Cross
WHEN: 30/9, runs to 15/10
Q: How many of Shakespeare’s characters were female? A: 16 per cent.
Our most read content of the year so far was shared by Sir Ian on his Facebook page and was a Shakespeare BFI Q&A with him in April. We’ve seen him many times filming Vicious at ITV Studios on the South Bank but never on stage in the theatre – until now and this Broadway transfer. Runs 8/9 to 17/12 at Wyndham’s Theatre. Picture via No Man’s Land. Tickets here.
