ALBUM OF THE MONTH: Light It Up by Will Young (August 2024)

WORTH A LOOK?: ***1/2

TRACKLIST: Falling Deep; Light It Up; Feels Just Like A Win; Midnight; Me Without You; The Worst; No Man’s Land; Talk About It; Everything But You; I Won’t Let You Down

He’s not had a top 40 hit single since Jealousy made the top 5 in 2011 yet, perhaps ironically, Young has never been more lyrically and musically interesting than he is on this, his 9th album and 1st of new material for 5 years.

  • Read on for reasons including how it feels like a win to have him ploughing his own furrow and worrying less about fitting in
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PREVIEW: 9 reasons why we can’t wait for August starring Death Of England: The Plays

  1. Death Of England: The Plays @SohoPlace

Death Of England: Michael, Death Of England: Delroy and Death Of England: Closing Time were written by Clint Dyer and Roy Williams and were originally performed at the National Theatre. Delroy won monstas for our Best New Play in 2020 and Best Theatre Actor for Michael Balogun in 2020. You can see these plays starring Paapa Essiedu (The Effect, National Theatre) and Erin Doherty (Crave, Chichester Festival Theatre) singly or in combinations during this innovative run. Runs 15 July through 28 September 2024. Tickets

  • Read on for reasons including new musical Why Am I So Single?, Victorious Festival and A Chorus Line
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THEATRE REVIEW: Song From Far Away starring Will Young at Hampstead Theatre

By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: **** RUNTIME: 80 minutes (no interval)

WHEN?: Saturday 1 July (matinee), runs through 22 July 2023

There are 2 moments during this monologue when Will Young as grieving hedge manager Willem interacts remarkably and seamlessly with his enrapt audience

  • Read on for reasons including whether Will Young kept his clothes on and if we think this could transfer to the West End
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9 reasons why we can’t wait for July starring La Cage Aux Folles at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

  1. La Cage Aux Folles at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Arguably 1 of our favourite London theatre venues, this atmospheric outdoor spot is particularly musical friendly. Director Tim Sheader has run this venue for over a decade and takes over as artistic director at the Donmar next year. La Cage Aux Folles is the story of a gay male couple whose son visits with news that he is to marry the daughter of an ultra-Conservative MP and farce ensues when this defender of the most traditional values in family life arrives with mother and daughter. Runs 29 July through 16 September 2023. Tickets Review

  • Read on for reasons including debut Cian Ducrot LP, the return of Pulp and Crazy For You
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GIG REVIEW: Will Young at EartH, Hackney, east London

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

WHEN?: Monday 6 September 2021, tour runs until 8 July 2022

SETLIST: Crying On The Bathroom Floor; Light My Fire; Losing You; Changes; ‘Til There’s Nothing Left; Who Am I; Jealousy; Come On; You And I; Elizabeth Taylor; Daniel; Leave Right Now; Your Game

We’ve been to Q&As before but never 1 where an audience member has proposed to her boyfriend and the act has invited them onstage as Will Young did here.

  • Read on for reasons including whether Ade accepted Leanne’s marriage proposal
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PREVIEW: 9 reasons why we can’t wait for August 2021 starring Culture Club

  1. Culture Club and Bananarama play Kenwood House

This is shaping up to be 1 of our 1st gigs proper since Madonna at the Palladium pre-lockdowns in February 2020 and we couldn’t be more thrilled. The occasion is Heritage Live and the setting is north London’s beautiful Kenwood House. We’ve seen Rufus Wainwright here before and we know we’re in for something special because Culture Club and Bananarama always deliver live. Tickets

  • Read on for reasons including new albums from Lorde and Will Young and the Victorious festival
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SONG OF THE WEEK: Daniel by Will Young (week beginning 8 May 2021)

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

RELEASED: 30 April 2021

The idea behind Young’s 8th album Crying On The Bathroom Floor out this August is that it will consist of covers of songs made famous by women.

  • Read on for reasons including where to see Young at venues across the UK in September
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AWARDS: MONSTAS: Our best performance of a song in 2018 so far

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. Tight Connection To My Heart by Sheila Atim from Girl From The North Country is the previous winner in this category.

  • Read on for our top 5 performances of a song of 2018 so far and our hopes for the next half year

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THEATRE REVIEW: Strictly Ballroom starring Will Young, Jonny Labey & Zizi Strallen

WORTH A LOOK?: *****

WHERE: Piccadilly Theatre

WHEN: 31/3, press night 24/4, runs to 21/7/18

The biggest compliment we can pay this West End production of the 1992 Baz Luhrmann-directed film is that we return to see it in a fortnight – and we couldn’t be more excited to do so.

  • Read on for reasons including how Will Young’s new MC character fits into proceedings

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

  1. Caroline, or Change at the Hampstead Theatre

Two highlights for us of last year were the National Theatre’s production of Angels In America by Tony Kushner and Sharon D. Clarke in musical The Life at Southwark Playhouse. This year D. Clarke is in Kushner’s musical Caroline, Or Change set in Louisiana in 1963 which runs 12/3 to 21/4 at Hampstead Theatre. Transferred from Chichester’s Festival Theatre. Tickets

  • Read on for reasons including Will Young, Strictly Ballroom, Sigrid and Vanessa Redgrave

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