Always a fun and enjoyable task is looking back at everything I managed to see at the theatre (read this) during the course of a year and putting together my favourite 10 shows! It becomes increasing difficult each year and that is only a good thing as just shows that the standard of theatre is so high!
Here we go then my 10 favourite shows of 2018 . . .
Here we go with my run down of everything I managed to catch at the Theatre in 2018, this includes plenty of UK Touring shows coming to Newcastle’s Theatre Royal and the Sunderland Empire. I squeezed in a few London trips and even another New York trip thanks to my marathon place!
In 2016 I managed to see 31 shows. In 2017 I managed to see 36 shows. My total for this year 2018 was 26 different shows. Not as many as the previous two years, but still a very impressive number. Check out which shows here!
The Boss aka Bruce Springsteen took his performing to a different level during 2017 and 2018 as he performed on Broadway. This recording is the final performance of the shows run, completing 236 shows.
The nominations for the 19th WhatsOnStage Awards have been announced and the ceremony will take place on 3rd March 2019.
Best Actor in a Play sponsored by Radisson Blu Edwardian
Aidan Turner, The Lieutenant of Inishmore
Arinzé Kene, Misty
Colin Morgan, Translations
Kyle Soller, The Inheritance
Mark Gatiss, The Madness of George III
Best Actress in a Play
Carey Mulligan, Girls & Boys
Charlie Murphy, The Lieutenant of Inishmore
Katherine Parkinson, Home, I’m Darling
Patsy Ferran, Summer and Smoke
Sophie Okonedo, Antony and Cleopatra
Best Actor in a Musical sponsored by The Umbrella Rooms
Giles Terera, Hamilton
Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Tina – The Tina Turner Musical
Jamael Westman, Hamilton
Jamie Muscato, Heathers the Musical
Rob Houchen, Eugenius!
Best Actress in a Musical sponsored by Café de Paris
Adrienne Warren, Tina – The Tina Turner Musical
Carrie Hope Fletcher, Heathers the Musical
Laura Baldwin, Eugenius!
Rachelle Ann Go, Hamilton
Rosalie Craig, Company
Last year I put a list together of all the Pantomimes taking place in and around the North East. This year I thought I would put it together a lot earlier, so hopefully it will help raise awareness which Pantos are on during the festive season!
(If any of the venues would like me to come and review the show I would be more than happy to do that!)
Cast
Vivian Ward – Samantha Barks
Edward Lewis – Andy Karl
Kit De Luca – Orfeh
Happy Man/Mr Thompson – Eric Anderson
Philip Stuckey – Jason Danieley
James Morse – Kingsley Leggs
Venue: Nederland Theater, New York
Date: Saturday 3rd November 2018 (2:00pm)
One of my all time favourite actors recently announced a truly incredible tour, a one man show on stage with Sir Ian McKellen taking us through his career and treating us to his most known and loved characters. He is turning 80 in 2019 and has decided to go to 80 different venues across the UK.
Tickets for Newcastle at the Theatre Royal went on sale this morning at 9:00am and by 9:02am I had front row tickets, this was the friends of the theatre pre-sale and they are selling out very fast!
Cast
Eliza Doolittle – Laura Benanti
Professor Henry Higgins – Harry Hadden-Paton
Colonel Pickering – Adam Grupper
Alfred P. Doolittle – Joe Hart
Mrs. Higgins – Rosemary Harris
Freddy Eynsford-Hill – Jordan Donica
Mrs. Eynsford-Hill – JoAnna Rhineheart
Venue: Lincoln Center Theater, New York
Date: Friday 2nd November 2018
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie has taken the West End and musical theatre world by storm since debuting in Sheffield before transferring to the London in November 2017. I was lucky enough to see this fantastic show in January 2018 and totally loved it. Since then it has gone from strength to strength extending the booking period and a live stream to the cinema.
