By Carron Stacey, A Humdrum Mum
WHEN?: Saturday 26 September 2026
Ally Pally, we swore we’d never return due to the walk and public transport … obviously we did, because, well PBS!
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHEN?: Saturday 19 September, opens 27 September and runs through 14 November 2026 RUNTIME: 85 minutes (no interval)
You join us in the New York apartment belonging to writer Truman Capote at Christmas in 1975 as Manhattan socialites who were once his confidants turn their backs on him when they recognise thinly-veiled versions of themselves in an excerpt of his new novel published in Esquire magazine.
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHEN?: Thursday 17 September, tour runs through 24 September 2026
Setlist: Remedy; Waiting On Nina; Fault Lines; The Thread; I Don’t Need Light; From Here To Nowhere; Three Moon Trail; Removed; Matter; Early Promise; DLR
Family Stereo ‘folkish rockery’ frontman Blake Watt is reflecting on this, his band’s 1st sell-out London show, and tells an amusing story about ‘survivors’ guilt’.
By Carron Stacey, A Humdrum Mum (press ticket)
We were Bonkers.
By Aline Mahrud
WORTH A LOOK?: ***
WHEN? Friday 28 August, opens 3 September and runs through 24 October 2026 RUNTIME: 150 minutes (including a 20-minute interval)
The best thing about this revival of a 2003 US play inspired by a 1981 scandal in which a journalist won a Pulitzer Prize for writing about an inner city child only to later admit the story was fraudulent is the promising performance of Letitia Wright (pictured centre above) at its heart.
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 2026.
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 Our review
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.
