Nancy Durrant and Matt Wolf join Robert Bound in the studio to discuss the best theatre shows coming to the stage in 2025, including a new production of a West End classic, a play about the experiences of the Windrush generation and a critically acclaimed performance by an Olivier award-winning actress. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Hello and welcome to Monocle on Culture.
I'm Robert Bounds.
On today's show, we are dimming the lights and drawing back the red velvet curtain to rapturous applause as we explore the best and brightest theatre gracing our stages in 2025.
Among the highlights, we'll be telling you all about a brand new production of a West End classic, a play about the experiences of the Windrush gener, and a critically acclaimed performance by an Olivier award winning actress.
And joining me today to bring you the very best of that theatre this year is the co host of the London Theatre Review podcast, Nancy Durant and theatre critic at the International New York Times, Matt Wolfe.
Welcome both to the program.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Suitably winter, really attired Matt, sporting a very big white polo neck.
Yes, good stuff.
Yeah.
Barely be seen my mouth.
And Nancy is bescarved.
Nancy, we're gon start off with you and a bit of a double helping of Shakespeare.
Yeah.
Richard II and Much Ado About Nothing.
Which would you like to start with?
Well, I mean, let's start with Much Do About Nothing, Much About Nothing coming to the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Andrew Lloyd Webber's big glitzy theatre in February and it's starring Tom Hiddleston and Hayley Atwell.
Both of these shows are quite starry, which is actually why I chose them and not because they were both Shakespeare, which even I didn't actually notice.
It's directed by Jamie Lloyd and I'm hoping that very much that it's going to be a bit of a return to for him because I absolutely loathed the Tempest, which is currently at the theatre or Drury Lane with Sigourney Weaver.