THEATRE REVIEW: Waiting For Godot starring Ben Whishaw & Lucian Msamati at Theatre Royal Haymarket

By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ****1/2

WHEN?: Saturday 28 September (matinee), runs through 21 December 2024 RUNTIME: 165 minutes (including a 20-minute interval)

Vladimir and Estragon are waiting for Godot and, apart from that, it’s possible to read any number of interpretations into what Samuel Beckett’s classic 1948/49 play is actually about.

  • Read on for reasons including how this production warmed our heart in a way we weren’t expecting
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PREVIEW: 9 reasons why we can’t wait for September 2024 starring Ben Whishaw

  1. Ben Whishaw is Waiting For Godot

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

  • Read on for reasons including John Lithgow, Look Back In Anger and the return of Cable Street
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THEATRE REVIEW: The Picture Of Dorian Gray starring Sarah Snook at Theatre Royal Haymarket

By Aline Mahrud

WORTH A LOOK?: **

WHEN?: Saturday 27 April 2024 and runs through 11 May 2024 RUNTIME: 120 minutes (without interval)

The tech breaks down after 40 minutes, the spell is broken, the show is paused and we leave never to return.

  • Read on for reasons including why this is the emperor’s new clothes of theatre
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PREVIEW: 9 reasons why we can’t wait for May 2024 starring Dominic West in A View From The Bridge

  1. A View From The Bridge in the West End

Transferring from Bath’s Theatre Royal, this Lindsay Posner production stars Dominic West (TV’s The Crown), Kate Fleetwood (Ugly Lies The Bone, National Theatre) and Callum Scott Howells (Cabaret, Kit Kat Club) in this Arthur Miller play about 1 man’s place in the close-knit American-Italian community of 1950s New York. Runs 23 May through 3 August 2024 at Theatre Royal Haymarket. Tickets Our preview review

  • Read on for reasons including Olly Alexander, Boys From The Blackstuff and Thompson Twins’ Tom Bailey
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THEATRE REVIEW: Heathers The Musical starring Christina Bennington, Jordan Luke Gage & Jodie Steele at Theatre Royal Haymarket

WORTH A LOOK?: ****1/2

WHEN?: Matinee Wednesday 28 July 2021, booking to 11 September 2021

RUNTIME: 150 minutes (with a 20-minute interval)

We were at a preview of this production at the Other Palace over 3 years ago and we’re back because we’ve enjoyed its 2 new leads in Bat Out Of Hell (Dominion, Christina Bennington) and & Juliet (Shaftesbury Theatre, Jordan Luke Gage).

  • Read on for reasons including how the vociferous audience is so powerful it is like having an extra Heather onstage
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TOP 6: Best read monstagigz content of 2018

  1. We weren’t very, very, very keen on new Martin McDonagh

Martin McDonagh features twice in this list and wrote/directed the Oscar-winning film Three Billboards in 2018. We were at the 2nd preview for this new play at the Bridge Theatre and weren’t keen: ‘Our problem with A Very, Very, Very Dark Matter is that, while McDonagh could be argued to be skewering the lazy racism of 18th Century Europe of the time, it makes for a very uncomfortable and politically incorrect watch in 2018.’

  • Read on for the rest of the top 6 including Saara Aalto, Aidan Turner, Heathers & Suranne Jones

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MONSTAS SHORTLIST: Best New Musical of the year: 2018

It’s almost Christmas and what would the festive season be without some recognition of the best of 2018? Over the next week we’ll shortlist five nominees in each of 14 categories for our Oscars, or monstas if you will, of 2018.

  • Read on for nominees for the monsta for Musical of the year. 2017 winner: Everybody’s Talking About Jamie at the Apollo Theatre

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THEATRE REVIEW: The Band at Theatre Royal Haymarket

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHERE? Theatre Royal Haymarket RUN TIME: 2 hours 5 minutes (excluding 20-minute interval)

WHEN?: 3/12 runs to 12/1/19

Do you remember the 1st time?

  • Read on for reasons including how ‘technical difficulties’ caused the show to stop temporarily here

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

  1. Julian Clary & Dawn French star in Snow White at the Palladium

This is only the 3rd year of the Olivier Award-winning annual family pantomime at the Palladium but already it’s a staple in our Christmas must-do list – and we’re bringing the relations. Clary has found his niche and here’s what we thought about his show stopping turn in its 2016 and 2017 incarnation. Former Vicar Of Dibley French should make an interesting comic foil. Runs 8/12 through 13/1/19. Tickets

  • Read on for reasons including Take That, Rocky Horror Show, Claire Richards and the monstas

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THEATRE REVIEW: Frozen starring Suranne Jones, Nina Sosanya & Jason Watkins

WORTH A LOOK?: ***

WHERE: Theatre Royal Haymarket

WHEN: 9/2, press night 20/2, runs to 5/5/18

We’re imagining that most of the packed audience at this venue are here for Doctor Foster star Suranne Jones and it’s her name we hear in occasional murmurings from our fellow guests ahead of this first preview.

  • Read on for reasons including why it’s Jason Watkins who you’ll remember about this

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