By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK?: ****1/2
WHEN? Thursday 9 July, runs through Saturday 11 July 2026
Festival organisers are giving away free sombreros as temperatures surpass 40 degrees – the highest recorded for 112 years – and Suede compliment this vast crowd on their enthusiastic singing along.
By Carron Stacey, A Humdrum Mum
WHEN? Sunday 5 July 2026, Duran Duran tour through 3 November 2026
This must be the 8th time we’ve seen them; the last a year to the day at Chelmsford Racecourse. And I always say “They’re better than ever before”.
Blanchett (The Seagull, Barbican) stars opposite Nina Hoss (The Cherry Orchard, Donmar) in Benedict Andrews’ (Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, Apollo Theatre) production fusing ancient myth and modern psychology at the Lyttelton at the National 19 August through 10 October 2026. Tickets
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHEN? Sunday 21 June, opens 24 June and runs through 22 August 2026 RUNTIME: 90 minutes (no interval)
We really weren’t expecting to love this new musical as much as we did and we wonder whether it is its creators’ fondness for the awkward British humour of Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant and the Pythons that won us over.
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK?: ***1/2
WHEN? Sunday 14 June, opens 23 June and runs through 6 September 2026 RUNTIME: 85 minutes (no interval)
Hot Mess was shortlisted for our Best New Musical 2025 monsta and last year we said of it: ‘We’d definitely recommend catching it on this short run and wouldn’t be at all surprised if it scorches its way to the West End next.’
Writer and director Stephen Beresford and Matthew Warchus (Oedipus, Old Vic) return from the 2014 film for the musical of a group of gay men and lesbians supporting the striking miners in the 80s. Stars Samuel Barnett (Feeling Afraid As If Something Terrible Is About To Happen, Bush Theatre) at the National’s Dorfman Theatre 11 June through 12 September 2026. Original music by DJ Walde (SYLVIA, Old Vic). Tickets Our review
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK?: *****
WHEN?: Saturday 9 May (matinee), opens 18 May and runs through 4 July 2026 RUNTIME: 170 minutes (including a 20-minute interval)
Inside No 9 and Waterloo Road‘s Noah Valentine follows in the footsteps of Daniel Radcliffe in baring all as troubled 17-year-old Alan Strang who is blinding horses.
By Carron Stacey, A Humdrum Mum
WHEN?: 25 April 2026, tour runs through 9 May 2026
Hackney Colliery Band (HCB) are a jazz band that fuses electronics with a double percussion outfit.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
Madonna (Palau Sant Jordi, Barcelona) chooses not to ape Hung Up, the all-conquering, chart-topping, ABBA-sampling banger that launched album Confessions On A Dancefloor 21 years ago.
Oscar winner Oldman (Apple’s Slow Horses) directs and stars in this monologue about a man on his 69th birthday who sits alone and listens to the echoes of his younger self. The play returns to the Royal Court where it ran in 1958 in this York Theatre Royal production. The run is sold out although tickets are available on Mondays. Runs 8 through 30 May 2026. Tickets Our review
