Best TV shows (part 2) – 2023

Here’s part two of my favourite TV shows of the year….

SUCCESSION
Sky/NOW TV

Jesse Armstrong’s satirical family dynasty drew to a close this year, with one particular episode standing out as one of the finest hours of TV you’ll see all year. With the various family members jockeying for position to take over at Waystar Roy Co, the final few episodes became an acting masterclass for Kieran Culkin, Sarah Snook, Jeremy Strong and Matthew McFadyen. Very much one show that absolutely stuck the landing.

HAPPY VALLEY
BBC iPlayer

Sally Wainwright waited seven years to conclude the story of Catherine Cawood, and it was worth every minute of that wait. The reason for that wait was to base the story around Catherine’s grandson Ryan when he was 16, and to explore the relationship with his father, the psychotic Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton). It was a masterful piece of writing by Wainwright. pulling all the threads together to produce an incredibly tense final episode. And it goes without saying that Sarah Lancashire was as incredible as ever.

THE LAST OF US
Sky/NOW

Adaptations of video games have never fared particularly well on the small screen, but Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann hit absolute gold with their version of the wildly successful game franchise. Following a smuggler (Pedro Pascal) tasked with guarding a young girl (Bella Ramsey) across a post-apocalyptic version of the United States after it had been ravaged by a virus, it was a beautifully created world that worked by not just concentrating on the main characters. Little side-episodes, such as the brilliant Long Long Time, which depicted the relationship between Nick Offerman’s Bill and Murray Bartlett’s Frank, highlighted the humanity still surviving among the living dead.

COLIN FROM ACCOUNTS
BBC iPlayer

Boy meets girl. Boy hits dog with car. It was a good year for Australian television, with shows like Fisk and The Newsreader being big hits, but this was the best of the lot. A heartfelt romantic comedy from real life married couple Patrick Brammall and Harriet Dyer, this starts with a meet-cute where an unfeasibly cute dog is injured by a car, and then spirals from there. It’s the story of two flawed people who are forced to let their guard down, and the supporting characters are as memorably drawn as the two leads. It’s the one show all year I’ve sat down and watched twice. A second season is, thankfully, currently being filmed.

EXTRAORDINARY
Disney Plus

You may well be sick of superhero shows, but it’s far to say you’ve never seen a superhero show like this one. Emma Moran’s debut TV show was set in a world where everyone gains a superpower when they turn 18 – but what’s life like for the few who don’t? It was incredibly funny, pleasingly rude and crude and breathed fresh life into a genre that’s felt rather stale in recent years. The young unknown cast were bolstered by some comedy legends like Derry Girls’ Siobhan McSweeney and Ardal O’Hanlon. Disney renewed the show for another series before the first had even been broadcast.

THE BEAR
Disney Plus

The first season of The Bear was really good – this second season slowly became something pretty extraordinary. Jeremy Allen White (so good in the US remake of Shameless) cemented his place as future leading man in his role of Carmy, a head chef who comes home to Chicago to take over his late brother’s sandwich shop. It’s a tale of family tension, grief and personal development and is impossible to look away from. The ‘Christmas’ episode gained most plaudits, but it was the episode Forks, concentrating on troubled cousin Ritchie that hit all the emotional buttons.

THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT
BBC iPlayer

True crime dramas can often be an icky affair, given the tendency to concentrate on the killer rather than their victims. That’s a trend that seems to be turning this year, thanks to ITV’s excellent The Long Shadow and this from Sarah Phelps. Phelps based her show on the real-life case of the murders of Peter Farqhar and Ann-Moore Martin. Their killer, Ben Field (an impossibly slimy performance from Eanna Hardwick) was almost a secondary character, as Phelps instead concentrated on the lonely, disconnectd souls of Farquhar and Martin. Anne Reid was as excellent as ever as Martin, but it was Timothy Spall who stayed in the memory as the tortured, closested Farquhar, a career best performance that’s not easily forgotten by anyone who sees it.

DAISY JONES AND THE SIX
Prime Video

I read Taylor Jenkins Reid’s novel Daisy Jones And The Six towards the end of last year, and when I saw the trailer for this adaptation, it was pretty much everything I had imagined in my head. The tale of a fictional band (presumably very closed based on Fleetwood Mac) was a compelling one, and Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber managed to recreate Reid’s world perfectly. Riley Keough (Elvis Presley’s granddaughter, no less) was the perfect choice for Daisy, and the way that the show makers committed so hard to this world (including a full soundtrack by the fictional band) drew you into the world even further.

DAVE
Disney Plus

The third season of the tale of Lil’ Dicky, a neurotic man determined to make it big as a rapper, seemed to step up a gear this year. As Lil’ Dicky’s career becomes more successful, his life seems to spiral out of control. This is the story of a man utterly unsuited to a lifestyle he craves, and it’s one that’s brilliantly told by Dave Burd. This year sees him attracting groupies, attempting to settle down with Agents of SHIELD’s Chloe Bennett and attend the Met Gala to meet Rachel McAdam. They saved the best to last with the final episode, an insanely entertaining adventure co-starring none other than Brad Pitt.

DOCTOR WHO
BBC iPlayer

The long awaited return of Russell T Davies to spruce up a show that, let’s face it, needed a bit of sprucing up, was definitely worth the wait. The three episodes released in November to celebrate the show’s 60th anniversary showcased the return of David Tennant and Catherine Tate to the TARDIS, and immediately showed how much Davies had been missed. The highlight was probably the eerie, spooky Wild Blue Yonder, but The Giggle was the one that stayed in the memory – with Neil Patrick Harris having the absolute time of his life as the Toymaker, and a blistering introduction to The Fifteenth Doctor, the charismatic Ncuti Gatwa. If the Christmas episode is anything to go by, the Whoniverse is safe in the hands of Davies, Gatwa and new companion Millie Gibson.

Best TV shows (part 1) – 2023

As ever, there’s been far too many good TV shows, far too many streaming platforms, far too much STUFF to keep up with in 2023. So I’ve had to divide the year’s best TV into two, and like last year, I’m just sticking to scripted TV shows (which isn’t TV snobbery, as I love a bit of Strictly, Bake Off and Race Across The World, but there’s just no space….). And, like last year, if a series is on the list, I’ve seen every episode so I know the quality doesn’t flag, and all shows listed have a UK channel that you can watch it on, be it terrestrial or streaming.

Part One:

POKER FACE
Sky/NOW TV

Poker Face, from Knives Out director Rhian Johnson, took absolutely ages to arrive on these shores but it was well worth the wait. Natasha Lyonne played Charlie Cale, a casino worker with the ability to detect whether someone is lying, on the run from the mob. And every week, she managed to find herself investigating a mysterious death in a Columbo style ‘case of the week’. It felt like both an old-fashioned throwback to TV of the past and also incredibly modern. The good news is, it’s been renewed for a second season.

JURY DUTY
Freevee (Prime Video)

Ok, I kind of lied when saying only scripted shows would be included. But Jury Duty couldn’t be omitted as the concept worked so incredibly well. A jury trial takes place in Los Angeles, but the twist is everyone’s an actor, except for the foreman Ronald, who thinks he’s been called to a genuine trial. The case gets increasingly surreal and even the presence of Hollywood actor James Marsters can’t knock Ronald off his stride. The best unscripted comedy of the year.

BEEF
Netflix

This Netflix show about two strangers who collide in a road rage incident seemed to come out of nowhere this Spring, and watching Stephen Yeun and Ali Wong take their feud to new heights of madness each episode became incredibly compelling. It all climaxed in two of the best episodes of TV you’ll see all year – episode 9 was tense and exciting, while the final episode spun off into surreal madness.

THE FULL MONTY
Disney Plus

The most surprising revival of the year – nobody was expecting (or let’s be honest, really needed) a sequel to the 1997 low budget comedy about a group of stripping Sheffield steelworkers. And yet the new presence of writer Alice Nutter (an ex-member of Chumbawamba and now renowned playwright), gave this show a sharp political edge. Revisiting Sheffield in 2023 to see how Gaz and his mates were getting on was a bittersweet experience – life had knocked the stuffing out of these downtrodden now 60somethings. Paul Barber (Horse in the original) gave a heartbreaking, Bafta-worthy performance, and newcomer Talitha Wing was one of this year’s brightest new talents.

SUCH BRAVE GIRLS
BBC iPlayer

A comedy about mental illness, parental neglect and trauma may not sound like the most side-splitting comedy, but Kat Sadler’s loosely autobiographical TV debut tapped deeply into the Julia Davis vein of writing to produce one of the most successful black comedies of the year. Sadler also stars as Josie, who has a history of depression and intrusive thoughts, and the show is basically about her relationship with her mother (a brilliant Louise Brealey) and her sister Billie (Sadler’s real-life sister Lizzie Davidson, in her TV debut). It’s unsentimental, uncompromising, oddly touching and absolutely hilarious. Second season quick please, BBC.

SHRINKING
Apple TV+

This was the year that we said farewell to Ted Lasso, but co-creators Bill Lawrence and Brett Goldstein had another gem up his sleeve, this comedy-drama about a grieving therapist (Jason Segal) who tries to become more involved in his patients life. Harrison Ford, in a rare television role, was excellent as Segal’s colleague and father figure who’s struggling to come to terms with a Parkinson’s diagnosis. Like Ted Lasso, this was sentimental, warm comedy that hit the right emotional notes. And the sight of Segal cycling sobbing along to a Phoebe Bridgers song was one for the ages.

THE LOVERS
Sky TV/NOW

It was a very good year for comedy this year, and this was one of the best – Johnny Flynn’s political TV reporter and Roisin Gallagher’s depressed supermarket worker were the mismatched couple who begin an affair which spirals off into all sorts of unexpected directions. Flynn and Gallagher were excellent together, and and David Ireland’s script was razor sharp.

HIJACK
Apple TV+

George Kay’s plane-set thriller was very silly but utterly addictive, and the fact that every episode ended with a cliffhanger meant that the wait for the next episode seemed interminable. Idris Elba played a business negotiator who finds himself on board a hijacked plane, and has to bring his career skills into play to save everyone’s life. The plot took some wild swings, and it didn’t quite stick the landing, but Elba was as superb as ever, and it was impossible to stop watching.

I THINK YOU SHOULD LEAVE
Netflix

Tim Robinson’s sketch show returned for a third season, and was still as surreal, strange and mysteriously funny as ever. It’s the sort of show that’s impossible to describe, but the short episodes here showcased doggy doors, a driving crooner, a mime artist and the best dating show parody you’ll see all year. As with all sketch shows, it could be hit and miss, but when it hits, it’s absolute genius.

BARRY
Sky/NOW TV

Bill Hader’s black comedy about a hitman drawn to the world of acting came to an end this year – by the end of the final season, it had left the comedy behind and instead had become an impossibly intense drama as the consequences of Barry Berkman’s actions eventually came home to roost. The final episode seemed to divide some people, but it was pretty much the only way that this show could end. With Hader directing every episode of this final season, a feature film is surely his next move.

Best Films – 2023

It was another very busy year in film, with so much released both in cinemas and on streaming platforms that there were quite a few films I missed – so if your favourite isn’t below, that could be why. Cinema attendances were worryingly low for the first half of this year, until the cultural phenomena of Barbieheimer came along – it really was cheering to see cinemas packed again for the first time since the pandemic. I’d like to say Hollywood will learn their lesson and programme more original content rather than releying on endless franchises, but we all know that’s not going to happen.

Anyway, on with the list. As ever, in no particular order, and a few ‘honourable mentions’ at the end.

RYE LANE

It was a great year for new women directors, and Raine Allen-Miller’s rom-com was one of the freshest, most charming films to come our way this year. We literally follow Yas and Dom around Peckham over the course of an eventful day, where they help each other to get over their exes. Magnetic leads, a great soundtrack and inventive direction from Allen-Miller. Plus the best karaoke scene of the year.

DREAM SCENARIO

Ari Aster had a producer credit on this film from Norwegian director Kristoffer Borgli, but this wasn’t so much psychological horror as the kind of weird, unsettling surrealism that Spike Jonze or Charlie Kaufman would produce. Cage plays a University lecturer who suddenly starts appearing in everyone’s dreams – and then it really gets weird. One of the most unhinged, innovative and unsettling films in recent years, and Cage is on fine form.

SCRAPPER

Another excellent debut from a young female British director, this also showcased an incredible performance from young Lola Campbell, who played a 12 year old girl who continues to live alone in her London flat after the death of her mother. When her father (Harris Dickenson) turns up to take care of her, this becomes a story of two damaged individuals gradually letting their guard done. This feature debut from Charlotte Regan was bright, vibrant and moving and demonstrated both her and Campbell as superstars in the waiting.

HOW TO HAVE SEX

The cinematographer on Scrapper, Molly Manning Walker, also had her own film out this year, this powerful tale of a bunch of teenagers who go on holiday to Ibiza. Walker perfectly shows us the rush of being young and in a foreign country for the first time ,as we follow a group of three girls on holiday. When they meet another group, some thorny issues of consent arise – it’s the sort of film that should be mandatory viewing in schools. Walker’s cast was uniformly excellent, including two regular cast members of the underrated BBC comedy Ladhood, and Mia McKenna Bruce’s performance was one that nobody will forget in a hurry. Intense, visceral and powerful.

MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON

This really shouldn’t have worked as well as it did – a quirky little stop motion animated film which follows a tiny talking mollusc (voiced by Jenny Slate), with a single eye and some tiny shoes, who’s discovered when Dean, a film-maker, moves into an AirBnB at the end of his marriage. Dean starts to bond with Marcel, filming his day by day activities and posting it on YouTube. It should be horribly twee and irritating, but is actually incredibly moving in parts, especially as Marcel’s grandmother’s issues with dementia become clear. You’ll never have believed a talking shell could be so profound.

BARBIE

If you’d been dragged to see Barbie thinking it was simply a film about the all-American doll, you may not have expected a 2001: A Space Odyssey homage to open the film. You probably also didn’t expect Margot Robbie’s Barbie to bring a dance sequence to a crushing halt with the words “do you guys ever think about dying?”. Greta Gerwig’s third film was actually a thinly disguised feminist parable that touched on mortality, patriarchy, equality and young girls’ self-esteem. Admittedly it wasn’t too subtle, but it was incredibly well done, and really funny (Ryan Gosling’s I’m Just Ken was also one of the songs of the year). All that, plus a Stephen Malkmus and Pavement namedrop.

OPPENHEIMER

Like salt and pepper or fish and chips, this year you couldn’t talk about Barbie without talking about Oppenheimer. However Barbie-Heimer started out, it was a PR masterstroke, linking two diametrically opposed films which, if you did see them on the same day, the tonal shift would probably cause whiplash. Where Barbie was all bright colours and knowing satire, Christopher Nolan’s biopic was dark, muted and, basically, long scenes of men in a room talking about nuclear war and the end of the world. But Cillian Murphy was so magnetic on screen that it was impossible to tear your eyes from – and Robert Downey Jr (looking miles away from Tony Stark) surely has a Best Supporting Actor wrapped up. Released during a time when war across the world seems to be ramping up, Oppenheimer was an unsettling experience, especially during that final scene.

KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON

Scorsese linked up with his two favourite actors for the first time, and Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio made for a very watchable, if easily loathsome, central pair. Scorsese’s adaptation of David Grann’s non-fiction book about the murders in the Osage community in the 1920s. De Niro proved that, even after years of starring in duds like Dirty Grandpa and Amsterdam, he could still be the greatest actor of his generation. And although DiCaprio was as reliably great as ever, it was the performance of Lily Gladstone that burned itself on the mind. The audacity of the final scene showed that Scorsese still has what it takes as a filmmaker too.

WONKA

Director Paul King is already responsible for two of the greatest family films of recent years in Paddington and Paddington 2, and he sprinkled similar magic on this prequel to Roald Dahl’s much loved Charlie & The Chocolate Factory. Timothee Chalamet was excellent as the young Wonka, there were songs by Neil Hannon of the Divine Comedy, and supporting roles for pretty much the creme de la creme of British comedy. It paid appropriate tribute to the 1971 original, while always remaining a great film in its own right. Paul King is quickly establishing himself as the king of comic whimsy.

PAST LIVES

Celine Song was already well established as a theatre director, but when she opted to direct her own autobiographical story, it was clear that she wasn’t just suited to one medium. Past Lives tells the story of two childhood friends who lose touch, and then re-connect as the years go by. It’s a simple story, but devastatingly told – the poignancy of how the choices we make in life affect our future hangs heavy over the film. It’s a film where not too much happens, but at the same time, everything happens. And Greta Lee (so good in Apple TV’s The Morning Show) is outstanding as Nora.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS:

Beau Is Afraid (probably the most divisive film of the year, this does lose its way over it’s 3 hour plus running time, but has some of the most memorable imagery you’ll see all year. Even if you’re never entirely sure what’s going on)

Saltburn (OK no, this was the most divisive film of the year. Barry Keoghan was magnificently creepy as the working class kid slowly becoming a 21st century Talented Mr Ripley. He deserves an award simply for the amount of utterly bizarre acts that director Emerald Fennell foisted upon him).

M3GAN (A robotic toy doll goes psychotic. Yes, it’s that simple, and brilliantly done. Also contained the greatest gig about a Sia song you’ll see all year).

Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse (the second instalment of the animated adventures of Mike Morales – beautifully animated, with so many little nods and Easter eggs to the Marvel series that a second viewing was almost compulsory)

Pearl (Ty West’s unsettling horror film was both a sequel and prequel to his excellent X, which acted as an origin story for that film’s title villain. The third film, MaXXXine is due to be released next year).

Best albums – 2023

It’s list time of year, and as all the major albums have now been released for 2023, here is a handy list of my ten personal favourites. They’re in no particular order, just the records I enjoyed most this year. Links to a more detailed review of each album on musicOMH are included.

SUFJAN STEVENS – JAVELIN

This was the album that Sufjan Stevens fans had been waiting to hear ever since Carrie and Lowell was released back in 2015. Stevens has been busy since then, whether it be releasing a suite of music inspired by the Solar System, a soundtrack album to a ballet or a collaboration with his stepfather, but none of those really had the emotional impact that Stevens can conjure up at his best.

And this was Stevens at his best – deceptively simple songs that take their time to unfurl, delivered with the weary sigh of a man contemplating the end of a relationship. Songs like So You Are Tired, Everything That Rises and Will Anyone Ever Love Me were given an extra poignant twist when Stevens revealed that his partner Evans Richardson had died earlier in the year, while Stevens himself had been hospitalised with Guillain-Barre Syndrome and was learning to walk again. We can only hope that the next Sufjan Stevens album is birthed in happier circumstances.

My review of Javelin for musicOMH

CMAT – CRAZYMAD, FOR ME

Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson’s second album seemed to have ‘megastar’ stamped all over it. As well as a string of charismatic live shows, it was Crazymad For Me that demonstrated she was very much in it for the long haul.

Thompson specialises in ridiculously catchy pop songs with more pop culture references than you can shake a stick at – on this album alone, there was mention of Heat magazine, Studio Ghibli, Mark E Smith and Rebekah Vardy. There were songs about shaving your heard to look more like Burnley’s manager Vincent Kompany. There were duets with John Grant and sad country ballads in the mode of a 21st century Patsy Cline.

There seems to be a ‘moment’ around CMAT this year – one very similar to how Self Esteem broke into the mainstream a couple of years ago. Welcome to your favourite new pop star.

My review of Crazymad, For Me for musicOMH

BOYGENIUS – THE RECORD

Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus are pretty fantastic songwriters in their own right, so when they joined together as Boygenius, it shouldn’t be any surprise that the results were even greater than the sum of their parts.

This was a supergroup without bloated egos – there was no lead singer, with each woman taking it turns to share lead vocals, and that supportive atmosphere created musical gold. Whether it be the radio anthem of Not Strong Enough, the acoustic breeziness of Cool About It, or the rocking out screams that could be found in Satanist, each track was glorious. They even found time to good-naturedly poke fun at sacred cow Leonard Cohen and got away with it.

Hopefully this is just the start of a brand new partnership.

My review of The Record for musicOMH

THE JAPANESE HOUSE – IN THE END IT ALWAYS DOES

Amber Bain’s second album was a massive step up from her debut Good At Falling – a break up album but one that explores the sad void that remains when a relationship ends. Songs about wandering the house feeling alone never felt more melancholy. Bain also managed to write tracks about sexting, being in a throuple, and how a dog’s love will always trump the human version.

Musically, there were nods to Haim, Joni Mitchell, Kate Bush and the presence of diverse figures such as Justin Vernon from Bon Iver, Charli XCX, and various members of The 1975 shows how highly she’s rated amongst her contemporaries. This was only The Japanese House’s second album, so it’s frightening to think where she could be in a few years time.

My review of In The End It Always Does for musicOMH

BLUR – THE BALLAD OF DARREN

The second reformation of Blur’s career resulted in, not just a run of nostalgic gigs in the summer but also their ninth album – and, against all the odds, it was one of their best to date. In fact, 2023 was a busy year for all of them: whether it be a new Gorillaz album from Albarn, a solo album from Dave Rowntree, a new band The Waeve from Graham Coxon and, um, probably something about cheeses from Alex James.

Yet it was that chemistry that all four can produce which was on show in the oddly titled The Ballad of Darren – nothing really harked back to their glory days (no cockney singalongs were to be found), but tracks like The Narcissist, The Everglades and St Charles Square sat proudly next to most of thier back catalogue. If this was to be the final Blur album, it was one hell of a swansong.

Ross Horton’s review of The Ballad Of Darren for musicOMH

CORINNE BAILEY RAE – BLACK RAINBOWS

You may think you know Corinne Baily Rae as the purveyor of smooth pop-soul like Put Your Records On – smart, inoffensive, coffee-table music, right?

Just one listen to Black Rainbows will blow all those preconceptions away. This is an audacious, wildly experimental album that takes turns you just don’t expect it to. There’s psychedelic soul, hard rock, jazzy ballads in the mould of early Amy Winehouse, and best of all, scrappy chant a long punk rock in New York Transit Queen, one of the best songs of this year.

Comebacks don’t come any more surprising, or welcome, than this.

My review of Black Rainbows for musicOMH

MITSKI – THE LAND IS INHOSPITABLE AND SO ARE WE

Mitski, rather unexpectedly, became the Queen of TikTok this year, after My Love Mine All Mine became the streaming platform’s most popular song. Quite the turnaround for an artist who was threatening to retire only a few years ago.

Her seventh solo album was a downbeat affair, a world away from the slinky synth pop of Nobody or the blistering shredding of My Body’s Made of Crushed Little Stars. Instead there’s a languid sound that brings to mind names like Angel Olsen or Lana Del Rey, songs with hushed pedal steel and subtle string orchestrations. And, with no song hitting the four minute running time, it’s an album that never overstays its welcome. Indeed, it’s one you’ll come back to time and time again.

My review of The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We for musicOMH

THE NATIONAL – LAUGH TRACK

The National didn’t stop for breath this year – as well as releasing an album The First Two Pages Of Frankenstein in May, they also unexpectedly released another full-length record a few months later. Apparently the sessions that produced The First Two Pages were so productive that Laugh Track was released as the band’s second album of 2024.

And, impressively, it was even better than its predecessor. As well as the usual brooding guitar rock that you’ve come to expect from the band, there were also a few curveballs. Bryan Devendorf was let loose on the drums again, meaning tracks like Deep End (Paul’s In Pieces) sounded the classic National of High Violet days, while Space Invader also builds itself up to an intense ending. Best of all was Smoke Detector, apparently improvised at sound checks, which over the course of its seven minutes becomes ever more frenzied and dark. A cathartic, rewarding listen.

My review of Laugh Track for musicOMH

YOUNG FATHERS – HEAVY HEAVY

The Scottish trio’s first album in almost five years was an astonishing concoction of ideas and melody – a joyful, yet angry record, bouncing from genre to genre and soaked in a kinetic energy that becomes infectious to listen to.

Rice builds up a hypnotic, intense drum pattern, and adds some hollering vocals, while the brilliant Ululation manages to convey a raft of emotions while basically being wordless vocalisations. I Saw is a swaggering glam-rock beast which takes a swipe at the forces behind Brexit, and both Drum and Sink Or Swim are just incredibly good pop songs.

My review of Heavy Heavy for musicOMH

LANTERNS ON THE LAKE – VERSIONS OF US

The Newcastle band have been hanging on the fringes of fame for over a decade now – by all rights, Versions of Us should have been their big breakthrough, but they’ve remained one of this country’s best kept secrets.

What a secret to have though. Versions of Us was the band’s fifth album, and the first to not feature Oli Ketteringham on drums. A certain Phil Selway of Radiohead was the more than adequate replacement – Selway’s drumming anchored Hazel Wilde and Paul Gregory’s songs, making them sound even more exhilarating than before – whether it be the glorious rush of Real Life or the powerful sweep of The Likes Of Us.

My review of Versions of Us for musicOMH

Best Theatre of 2023

Hello! It’s been a while, hasn’t it? A year in fact, as it’s that time when I remember I have a blog and decide to round up the best cultural moments of the year before 2024 is on us. So, without any further ado, here are the best 10 theatre shows I saw this year. Not in any particular order, just the best ten.

NO PAY? NO WAY!
Manchester Royal Exchange
May 2023

In 2022, a revival of a Dario Fo play, Accidental Death of an Anarchist, was one of my theatrical highlights of the year. This year, another Fo production was dusted down and staged at the Royal Exchange, and it was one of the most relevant and, more importantly, hilarious, plays of the year. Fo’s source material was updated brilliantly by Marieke Hardy, to make it incredibly relevant to today’s cost of living crisis.

It was a masterclass in unpredictable, controlled chaos – at no point were you entirely sure what was going to happen next – with slapstick, audience participation and a huge playground slide in which characters made their entrance. It was, first and foremost, a comedy but there was a huge stream of righteous anger running underneath, exemplified by the cast singalong of Italian anarchist song Bella Ciao in the last few minutes. Powerful, important and hysterical, nobody who saw this would forget it in a hurry.

My review of No Pay? No Way! for The Stage

THE AMAZING BANANA BROTHERS
Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh
AUGUST 2023 (Edinburgh Fringe show)

The best shows at Edinburgh are the ones where you sit there thinking “I will never see anything like this ever again”. Bill O’Neill’s ingenious story of two daredevil brothers and their quest to slip on 1000 banana skins in one hour was one such show. O’Neill plays both brothers, who (for obvious reasons) can’t be on stage at the same time – one is lairy, aggressive and obnoxious, and the other has….issues, shall we say.

So what is billed as a slapstick show, soon becomes incredibly deep, with O’Neill tale of sibling rivalry going to some dark, psychologically intense places. It was utterly chaotic, yet somehow still very controlled, thanks in no small part to the presence of director Natalie Palamides. It all becomes very dark and (if you’re the unfortunate person chosen to stand in for O’Neill’s brother) quite uncomfortable, but this was easily the highlight of my Fringe visit this year.

Brian Logan’s 5 star review of The Amazing Banana Brothers for The Guardian.

SINFONIA
Leeds Playhouse
MAY 2023

Sometimes, the best ideas are the simplest ones. Sinfonia is a great example of this – it was literally an hour of so of old people telling real life stories. But it was staged in such a memorable, moving way, that by the time the curtain fell, you could easily have sat there for another hour at least.

It was the work of the Leeds Performance Ensemble, comprising amateur performers aged 55 and older. Each member of the ensemble stepped up to the microphone and told a story about their life – with each story lasting no longer than a couple of minutes, and touching on subjects like taking up walking to stave off diabetes, or a righteous polemic against the Tory Government. The constant movement on stage meant thaat this was a visual treat as well. It’s back in Leeds next year – go and see it.

My review of Sinfonia for The Stage

MAYFLIES
Theatre Royal, York
May 2023

As the success of Standing At The Sky’s Edge has proven, there’s definitely still a market for new British musicals. I don’t know whether Mayflies will have a similar shelf life, but this was an excellent attempt by York’s Theatre Royal to launch a new blockbuster. It was a simple idea – two people meet online, and then spend two years getting to know each other (the average gestation period of a mayfly) before meeting in real life. However, Gus Gowland’s script was written so it could be performed by anyone, regardless of gender, race or sexuality – and the York performance featured a rotating cast of three, with different cast members taking on the roles on each performance.

It was a sweet story, and enhanced by some genuinely excellent songs (one of which, Running On Empty, is on my Best of 2023 playlist), and the non-linear storytelling was fresh and grabbed the attention. Gowland’s protagonists were easy to identify with and root for, and the relatively short running time of 90 minutes meant that, while there wasn’t much room for character development, it was a bright and breezy show that you’re easily swept along with.

My review of Mayflies for The Stage

THE TIME MACHINE
Derby Theatre
March 2023

One for fans of The Play That Goes Wrong conceit, this wasn’t really anything to do with HG Wells’ classic novella. Instead, Original Theatre Company’s version uses The Time Machine as a jumping off point for the trio of performers to launch into a couple of hours of ad-libs, audience participation, and some very silly songs. Not one for purists of HG Wells then.

For everyone else, it was a gloriously daft evening of entertainment. There was so much energy and chaos happening onstage, that it was sometimes difficult to keep track of what was happening. There was a dizzying amount of pop culture references (from the Muppets to Harry & Meghan) and while it may have stretched the conceit a bit too far – it may well have worked better as a tight hour rather than the 2 hours it eventually clocked in, this was still a riotously entertaining evening of fun.

My review of The Time Machine for The Stage

BOYS FROM THE BLACKSTUFF
Royal Court, Liverpool
SEP-OCT 2023

Over 40 years ago, Alan Bleasdale’s searing, passionate account of how Thatcherite politics had destroyed communities on Merseyside broke new ground when it was transmitted on the BBC. Characters like Yosser Hughes and his catchphrase “Gizza job” chimed with the public consciousness, and episodes such as George’s Last Ride, in which a retired dock worker was wheeled round a derelict Albert Dock lived long in the memory.

It’s a brave writer who attempts to update Boys From The Blackstuff, especially in the city it was set in, but James Graham did an excellent job in bringing Bleasdale’s characters to the screen. Barry Sloane took on the iconic role of Yosser and was superb, while veteran Scouse actor Andrew Schofield captured all the pathos and resigned dignity of George. Graham was smart enough to keep it set in the 80s, while making it still relevant to today’s issues – and there were plenty of nods to the original for anyone old enough to remember it.

Although Boys From The Blackstuff is intrinsically linked with Liverpool, it would be great to see this at somewhere like the National – or even for a new generation of working-class writers like Bleasdale to have a new production commissioned.

Dave Fargnoli’s review of Boys From The Blackstuff for The Stage

I LOVE YOU, NOW WHAT
Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh
Aug 2023 (Edinburgh Fringe show)

The Pleasance Courtyard is usually home to hour-long comedy shows during the Fringe, but if you dig a bit deeper, you can also find some excellent theatre. Sophie Craig is probably best known as a comedian and performer who’s made her name on YouTube and TikTok, but I Love You Now What was a very personal piece about trying to embark on a relationship while in the throes of grief.

It centred around two life-changing events – embarking on a new relationship, and dealing with the death of a parent. And if those two events coincide, the results are not going to pretty. Part rom-com, part memoir on mourning, Craig’s script beautifully balanced the conflicting emotions – it was never sacharrine or miserable, but instead beautifully touching, while managing to remain, at times, laugh out loud funny.

A funny, sad and poignant play that marks Sophie Craig out as a real name to watch.

Maisie McGuffie’s review of I Love You, Now What for The Student Newspaper

GROUNDHOG DAY
Old Vic, London
May – Aug 2023

A few years ago, Tim Minchin was transformed from cult indie comedian to theatrical powerhouse when he turned Roald Dahl’s Matilda into a genuine West End and Broadway phenomenon. In 2016, he then followed up Matilda with a musical version of the Bill Murray comedy classic Groundhog Day – although the London run was well received, its Broadway run was brought to an end after just five months and a planned US tour was cancelled.

So this revival at the show’s original home seven years later was very much welcome – a rare adaptation of a cinematic classic that actually works. There were enough familiar moments for fans of the film to recognise, but the musical was very much a piece on its own. Minchin’s songs were excellent (if not quite as memorable as Matilda’s score), and Andy Karl was an excellent Phil Connors. There were also some lovely inventive touches from director Matthew Warchus, who used miniature effects and video projections to create some memorable scenes.

Not so much a stage remake of Groundhog Day but a companion piece, this was an experience you could have happily repeated over and over again during its run.

Sam Marlowe’s review of Groundhog Day for The Stage

STRATEGIC LOVE PLAY
Summerhall, Edinburgh
AUGUST 2023 (Edinburgh Fringe show)

I always make a point of going to see at least one Paines Plough play in the Summerhall’s Roundabout space every Fringe – firstly, because the Roundabout is such a lovely little venue, bringing the audience right up close to the stage, and secondly because Paines Plough is a guarantee of quality.

Miriam Battye’s two-hander simply followed two people on a date, having met in that most modern of ways: the dating app. Neither protagonist is given a name (referred to simply as Him and Her in the script), and Battye’s script brilliantly shows the tiresome ritual of getting to know a stranger, just on the off chance that they may be ‘the one’.

The back and forth between the couple (played by Letty Thomas and Archie Backhouse) was mesmerising, and the audience are gradually pulled in, wanting to know more about the pair and whether they’ll actually get together. Like a real date, it’s sometimes painful and awkward, and sometimes magical – at times, it felt you were watching a real date evolve, rather than a pair of actors.

Lyn Gardner’s review of Strategic Love Play for The Stage

THE GOOD PERSON OF SZECHWAN
Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
March 2023

This was Bertolt Brecht but not as you know him. Anthony Lau’s bold and inventive retelling of Brecht’s morality tale was surreal and engaging – this was a set which was designed to look like a soft play area, surrounded by a moat full of black and white balls. Actors dressed as giant rats and frogs suddenly appeared, characters made their entrances on children’s slides, and the was a soundtrack of synth pop.

Brecht purists will have hated it, but Lau really brought this story up to date – it was full of energy (sometimes, it was almost too fast-paced, like a theatrical sugar-rush) but it was inarguably a brave and fun way to bring a classic play to a brand new generation.

My review of The Good Person of Szechwan for The Stage

Best TV shows (part 2) – 2022

So here’s the second part of my personal favourite TV shows on 2023. Part 1 can be found here. Also, I doubt they’ll read this, but big thanks to the Pilot TV podcast gang, whose recommendations and reviews have long been a weekly highlight, and attending their live show earlier this year was a huge amount of fun.

Anyway, on with the second part…..

THE TOURIST
BBC (all episodes on iPlayer)

The Tourist premiered on New Years Day 2022, so it may well have flown under a lot of people’s radar when thinking of the best shows of the year. Which is a shame, as Harry & Jack Williams drama set in the Australian Outback was superb – exciting, full of twists and with a surreal sense of humour. Jamie Dorman wakes up with no memory of who he is or how he got there, and has to piece it all together.

SEVERANCE
APPLE TV+

Apple TV+ is still not seen as one of the premier streaming services, which is strange as they really knocked it out of the park with their shows this year. As it’s directed by Ben Stiller, you may think this would be a gentle workplace comedy like The Office, but nothing could be further from the truth. It’s a bleak, intriguing mystery about people who literally live different lives outside the office. To say too much else would be spoiling things, but this was yet another string to Apple’s television bow.

ATLANTA
DISNEY PLUS

The genius of Donald Glover has been known to a fair amount of people ever since his breakout role in Community, but Atlanta has been the show that’s defined him. After a long, pandemic-forced, break, season 3 eventually arrived this year (season 4 will also be on Disney Plus at the end of December) and showed that, if TV companies give artists free reign, sometimes gold can be produced. The loose thread running through this season of Atlanta was Earn touring round Europe with his rapper cousin Paper Boi. Yet there were also several stand-alone episodes (often not starring the rest of the cast) which were bizarre little stories about race in modern day America. The most creatively inspired show of the year.

YELLOWJACKETS
SKY ATLANTIC (all episodes on NOW)

A show about a plane crashing on a mysterious island, and the back stories of the survivors is explored…stop me if you think that you’ve heard this one before. Yellowjackets was, in some ways, the new Lost, but with an added freshness and some inspired casting in the adult versions of the teenage cast (welcome back, Juliette Lewis). The mystery deepened every episode, with enough clues to give some comfort that this wouldn’t end in a Lost-style purgatory conclusion. The next season is due to arrive in March.

UPRIGHT
SKY ATLANTIC (all episodes on NOW)

Tim Minchin may now be best known as a musical comedian (and, of course, the man behind the wildly successful stage version of Matilda), but Upright proved he could also be an exceptional actor when need be. The first season of Upright was a road trip where he made an unlikely pairing with teenage runaway Meg (played brilliantly by Milly Alcock, also starring this year in the Game of Thrones spin-off House of the Dragon). It would have made a fine standalone series, but this new instalment explored the relationships between the characters even more deeply, and produced one of the most emotional, beautifully acted, endings of the year.

PACHINKO
APPLE TV+

Another winner from Apple TV+ this year was Pachinko, an adaptation of the book by Min Jin Lee. It was a big, sprawling historical fiction about a family in Korea which, like the novel, spanned a timeline from 1915 to the late 1980s. Beautifully shot and tackling themes such as racism, discrimination and the post-war relationship between Japan and Korea. Which may not sound like a fun watch, but it’s beautifully written and acted, and proved popular enough for another season to be commissioned.

HACKS
PRIME VIDEO

The first season of Hacks took seemingly forever to arrive on these shores – so much so that season 2 followed mere months after the first one. The tale of an ageing stand up comedian who’s pared with a much younger, cynical writer to revitalise her stage show was eminently watchable – Jean Smart (last seen swiping away on Fruit Ninja in Mare of Eastown) channelled her inner Joan Rivers, while Hannah Einbinder built on her reputation as one of the most promising young actors/writers around.

SHERWOOD
BBC (All episodes on iPlayer)

James Graham is one of the country’s best writers, and he followed up last year’s Quiz with this masterpiece set in his hometown of Nottingham. He also managed to gather some of the country’s finest acting talent (David Morrissey, Leslie Manville, Adeel Akhtar) for this ‘loosely based on real events’ tale of two murders in an old mining community, with the scars from the 1984-85 Miners Strike still very raw. The cliffhanger at the end of the second episode was a proper “what the hell was THAT” moment.

FOR ALL MANKIND
APPLE TV+

Ron D Moore’s ‘alternative history’ space show has a claim to being Apple’s greatest show to date (the finale to season 2 still stands as one of the best hours of TV ever made), with this season concentrating on the race to colonise Mars. There was arguably a bit too much time spent on the two weakest characters of Karen and Danny, but the spectacular space sequences and emotional sweep of the season’s arc makes the lack of award recognition for the show seem all the more puzzling.

THE REHEARSAL
Sky Comedy (all episodes on NOW)

Nathan Fielder made his name with the Comedy Central show Nathan For You in which he attempted to boost ailing businesses with ever more elaborate schemes. For his first project on HBO, he undertook his most elaborate scheme, by attempting to recreate, with actors, how it would feel to raise a child. To say too much else would spoil it, but the results are (often uncomfortably) funny and increasingly weird, especially where the boundaries between what’s real and what’s fake become increasingly blurred.

Best TV shows – 2022 (part 1)

OK, this is where it gets tricky. There were a lot of TV shows out this year, more streaming channels than ever before and less time to watch everything. So there’s inevitably things I’ve missed or shows I started and didn’t have time to finish.

A few ground rules I started from – no reality or unscripted shows (I’m not a TV snob – I mean, I love a bit of Strictly, I’m A Celeb and I’m itching for the imminent return of Race Across The World, but lists like this work best if it’s just pure scripted shows). Also, if it’s on the list I’ve seen every episode, so I can be sure the quality doesn’t dip halfway through or take about 12 hours to actually get going (hi, The Rings of Power). And all shows have a UK channel that you can watch it on, whether that be terrestrial or streaming.

And instead of 10 shows, I’ve chosen 20 as there’s so much to get through. Part one today, part two on Friday.

So, in no particular order…

ANDOR
DISNEY PLUS

Star Wars TV shows had taken something of a bashing recently – whether it be The Book of Boba Fett deciding to turn into The Mandalorain season 2.5 in order to raise some interest or Obi Wan being a huge disappointment. Andor was different though – a Star Wars show with absolutely no fan service (“The Force” is never even mentioned), instead being a gritty, grimy noir show about fascism. And the one bit of fan service they did bow to – right at the end, in a mid-credits sequence – was brilliant.

BAD SISTERS
APPLE TV+

Sharon Horgan’s adaptation of a Flemish TV show was an unlikely choice for a flagship Apple project but it worked brilliantly. Featuring a performance so brilliantly repellent by Claes Bang that you worry about whether he’ll ever find another acting job again, and full of the dark humour that Horgan’s known for, Bad Sisters soon became the highlight of every Friday. It works perfectly well as a standalone, but these characters are so well drawn that the news of a second season is very welcome.

BETTER CALL SAUL
NETFLIX

Slow and steady wins this particular race, it turns out. Who would have thought that a spin off featuring a relatively minor character from Breaking Bad would end up being more satisfying than its parent show. The slow descent of Jimmy McGill into Saul Goodman eventually bore fruit this year, with a final stretch of episodes that closed off this particular televisual universe for good.

DERRY GIRLS
CHANNEL 4 (all episodes on All 4)

Lisa McGee’s comedy about life in early 90s Ireland came to a bittersweet ending this year after three series. The first and second series were arguably stronger, but this wrapped things up in the most perfect way. Even Nicola Coughlan’s enforced absence due to her Bridgerton filming commitments was dealt with by an ingenious running gag. And the celebrity cameo right at the very end came as a genuine surprise.

THE WHITE LOTUS
SKY ATLANTIC (all episodes also on NOW)

The second season of Mike White’s drama arrived with a (mostly) brand new cast, and a new location in picturesque Sicily. It was darkly funny, took many unexpected turns and Jennifer Coolidge delivered her many brilliant lines with undisguised relish. Exhibit A:

The mystery element of the show was beautifully teased out until the final moments, while Michael Imperioli gave his best performance since back when he was Christopher in The Sopranos. Season 3 has already been confirmed, and we’re only left guessing which location and which returning characters will feature.

THE BEAR
DISNEY PLUS

Kitchens seemed to be where it was at this year, with films like Boiling Point and The Menu, and this little gem on Disney Plus. Jeremy Allen White, who viewers of the US version of Shameless will know as that series’ Lip Gallagher was propelled into superstardom with his portrayal of the award winning chef who returns to his hometown of Chicago to take over his late brother’s restaurant. The tension is ramped up throughout (especially in the penultimate episode, shot in one take) and it’s probably a good job each episode is only 30 minutes as your heart may not take it otherwise. A huge success in the US, season 2 is already on its way.

BIG BOYS
CHANNEL 4 (all episodes on All 4)

Jack Rooke’s autobiographical comedy was an understated delight, one of those shows that can have you chuckling one minute and then wiping away the tears a few moments later. Dylan Llewellyn (the “wee English fella” from Derry Girls) played Jack, a shy, closeted teenager who strikes up an unlikely friendship with seemingly outgoing “lad” Danny. The way Rooke depicts that friendship, and the sensitive way that depression and mental illness are treated that sets this on another level. The announcement of a new season was one of the year’s most welcome announcements.

THIS IS GOING TO HURT
BBC (all episodes on iPlayer)

Adam Kaye’s best selling memoir should have been a difficult book to adapt – simply a diary which begins with some gently humourous anecdotes about working on A&E, before turning into a passionate defence of the NHS and an attack on Government unfunding. But it worked brilliantly, many thanks to Kaye adapting his own book for the screen, and the casting of Ben Wishaw who wasn’t afraid to play unsympathetic when needs be. When the show takes a shockingly brutal turn towards the end, you properly feel it.

BARRY
SKY ATLANTIC (all episodes on NOW)

Bill Hader’s hitman turned wannabe actor had already entertained for two seasons, and the third was the best outing yet. The genius of this show is that Barry is undoubtably a Very Bad Man who does Very Bad Things, yet you always, almost without exception, end up rooting for him. This season was no exception, as the feud set up at the end of season 2 with his acting teacher Gene Cousineau spiralled out of control. Also, Anthony Carrigan was the best supporting role of the year as NoHo Hank.

STRANGER THINGS
NETFLIX

Possibly the closest thing that Netflix has right now to a proper cultural phenomenon, season 4 of Stranger Things was a return to form after the rather lacklustre season 3. Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hill was introduced to a whole new audience, and British actor Joseph Quinn was an instant cult hit as new cast member Eddie Munson. The episode run times became ever more ludicrous (the last episode was, at 2 hours 19 minutes, longer than most films) but the whole thing was so compelling and spectacular, it hardly mattered.

Best films 2022

It’s another round-up of the best of the year, this time concentrating on films. This was the year that I started to go back to the cinema a lot more after the enforced break of the pandemic, although with films appearing more quickly on streaming services these days, there were quite a few I didn’t catch on the big screen. Anyway, in no particular order, here are my favourite 10 films of the year, with a few ‘honourable mentions’ at the end.

THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN

This was the film that reunited Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleason and Martin McDonagh after they’d created In Bruges together. This was even better – beautifully shot on a remote island off the coast of Ireland, and musing on depression and male friendships. Which doesn’t sound like a barrel of laughs, but the dark humour that runs through Banshees sets it apart as one of the films of the year. This may be a bit too quiet and understated to be a major Oscar contender, but both Farrell, Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan should be shoe-ins for nominations at the very least

EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE

It could be argued that the Daniels brothers’ latest tries to pack too much into its lengthy running time – and there’s a lot to get through. It begins as a family drama, before kicking into gear and embracing action, comedy, some of the most bizarre fight sequences committed to film, an unexpectedly moving scene shot in complete silence and featuring two rocks, and visual references to films as diverse as Ratatouille, 2001 A Space Odyssey, and In The Mood For Love. Utterly bonkers but with a huge heart.

RRR

Oh how I wish I’d seen this on the big screen. RRR is easily the most spectacular action film of the year (yeah, more than Top Gun Maverick) – the first half-hour alone of this film is packed with more jaw-dropping sequences than the majority of Hollywood films. It is utterly shamelessly over the top (at one point, a tiger is thrown through the air during a fight sequence) and various scenes that make John Woo seem like Terence Malik. And, as it’s a Tollywood film, there’s plenty of songs and dancing. Three hours long and the pace never flags – RRR is astonishing.

THE MENU

2022 seemed to be the year where it was best to go into films blind, knowing as little as possible about the plot. Barbarian was certainly one of those, as was Fresh – and best of all was The Menu. Nicholas Hoult takes Anya Taylor-Joy to see his chef hero Ralph Fiennes prepare a special meal. And that is genuinely all you should know about The Menu as it takes you on a pretty wild ride. And with Boiling Point and Disney Plus’ The Bear, the kitchen seemed to be where all the best art was being made this year.

GLASS ONION: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY

Rian Johnson’s Agatha Christie style mystery was one of 2019’s biggest surprises (not least from Daniel Craig’s accent) and his follow-up was even better. Apart from Craig, there was a whole new cast, and Janelle Monae and Kate Hudson in particular stood out. The plot twisted and turned all over the place, and the setting of the Greek resort of Amazoe was beautifully cinematic. It was a shame this was only in cinemas for a week (part of the joy is hearing the audience be delighted by the many twists), but it’s a guaranteed good watch over Christmas if you have Netflix.

THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD

Main character Julie is very much not the worst person in the world, but rather a woman entering her 30s unsure of where her life is going, especially when it comes to romantic relationships. Writer/director Joachim Trier guides us through those relationships, in ways you may not be expecting (one scene, where Julie runs through the streets of Oslo as time stands still, is one of the cinematic highlights of the year). And, as Julie, Renate Reinsve in her first major role was a revelation.

FRESH

Another of those films which it’s best not to know too much about before you go in, Fresh seems very much like your standard romantic-comedy at first. There’s a meet-cute in a supermarket, the two leads seem to have good chemistry and then……well, let’s not say anymore. Lauren Kahn’s script takes turns you’d never see coming and director Mimi Cave ramps up the tension with every minute.

TOP GUN: MAVERICK

Who’d have thought we’d need a Top Gun sequel, a mere 37 years after the original? Especially when the original (whisper it) hasn’t aged particularly well? (sorry). And yet nobody else can quite make a big Hollywood action film like the apparently ageless Tom Cruise, and this return to the world of fighter jets was exactly what the post-Covid world of cinema needed. The action sequences were adrenaline fuelled and exhilarating, but what set Maverick apart from its predecessor was the surprising air of regret and melancholy threaded through the film.

ELVIS

Baz Lurhmann’s biopic of the King of Rock N Roll was as lavish and quick-paced as you’d expect from the director of Moulin Rouge, taking in Presley’s life from birth right up to a couple of years before he died (so we’re spared the sight of Austin Butler in a fat suit eating a hamburger on a toilet). Butler is incredible, a sure-fire shoo-in for an Oscar nomination, and although the story of Colonel Tom Parker is a well told one (although Tom Hanks seems a bit miscast), the tragedy of Elvis’ life is poignantly depicted.

THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT

Possibly the most meta film of the year as Nicolas Cage gives his best performance in years as…well, Nicolas Cage (or Nic Cage as his “character” is credited here). Cage plays a washed up actor relegated to straight to video films (yes, really) who somehow gets recruited by the CIA for an undercover drugs operation. It’s ridiculous yet works very well, mostly due to the double act he forms with Pedro Pascal. There’s a de-aged Wild At Heart era Cage dishing out advice and an excellent running gag about Paddington 2. Who would have thought an entire film based on memes of Nicolas Cage would work so well?

Honourable mentions:

Barbarian (you’ll never Air BnB ever again…scary, tense, and weirdly, funny as hell)

Clerks 3 (Kevin Smith’s farewell to the characters who defined him is a proper emotional ride)

Boiling Point (Stephen Graham as a chef in an incredibly tense 92 minutes that was all shot in one take)

Turning Red (Pixar’s annual offering sadly went direct to Disney Plus instead of cinemas, which was a shame as it was a lovely coming of age story for early teenage girls)

Bullet Train (Brad Pitt as a hapless assassin in Japan, with a whole host of guest stars)

Licorice Pizza (the age gap between the two main characters was, in all honesty, a bit icky, but a Paul Thomas Anderson film is never a disappointment, and this certainly wasn’t. Astonishingly good debuts from Cooper Hoffman – Philip Seymour’s son – and Alana Haim of the band Haim).

Best albums – 2022

As it’s a week before Christmas, all the major album have now been released, so it’s as good a time as any for a ‘Best of the Year’ post. As with the theatre best of, it’s in no particular order, just my favourite 10 albums of the year. Links to the review on musicOMH are included.

JOCKSTRAP – I LOVE YOU JENNIFER B

Georgia Ellery and Taylor Skye produced one of the most impressive debuts in recent time -ambitious, inventive and genre-mashing. Sometimes it sounded like Portishead being fed through a blender, at others it was sweet, summery and breezy. Quite the year for Ellery, who is also in Black Country, New Roads, who you may also find on this page….

My review of I Love You Jennifer B for musicOMH

MAGGIE ROGERS – SURRENDER

Maggie Rogers’ second album was a huge leap for the Maryland musician – full of stirring alt-rock anthems that runs from the full-on glorious raucousness of Want Want to the quiet, intimate balladry of I’ve Got A Friend. An album to listen to again and again, and not become tired of it. Possibly the only album of the year to namecheck Robert Pattison and Britney Spears too.

My review of Surrender for musicOMH

TAYLOR SWIFT – MIDNIGHTS

It may not be quite up to the standards of Swift’s 2020 double-header of Evermore and Folklore, but her return to the smooth synth-pop of 1989 and Lover was still a fine demonstration of her power as a songwriter. Lana Del Rey turned up to add backing vocals to Snow On The Beach, there was a few intriguing autobiographical details to You’re On Your Own Kid, and Anti-Hero was pretty much an instant classic (and, also, easily the video of the year)

My review of Midnights for musicOMH

BIG THIEF – DRAGON NEW WARM MOUNTAIN I BELIEVE IN YOU

A huge, sprawling double album, not nearly as awkward as that album would suggest. The 80 minute running time gave the Brooklyn quartet space to explore all manners of musical direction from the sparse folk they’re best known for, to more intriguing experiments which nod to shoegazing, and breezy alt-rock. An immersive album to lose yourself in.

My review of Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You for musicOMH

ANGEL OLSEN – BIG TIME

The North Carolina based songwriter’s sixth album sees her turn away from the electronic experimentalism of her last couple of records, and sees her embrace alt-country full-on. It’s an album borne of heartbreak (her parents died within a few weeks of each other) but with uplifting hope shining through it, as the presence of her new partner Beau Thibodeaux as co-songwriter on one track shows. Also includes an unexpected reference to Chris De Burgh’s kitsch 80s number The Lady In Red.

My review of Big Time for musicOMH

SUDAN ARCHIVES – NATURAL BROWN PROM QUEEN

Brittney Parks’ second album built on the exhilarating experimentalism of her debut, mixing soul, RnB, and pop with the classical elements you’d expect from someone so adept on the violin. Selfish Soul was one of the catchiest songs of the year, while ChevyS10 managed to combine both Tracy Chapman and Notorious BIG to stunning effect. An exhausting listen, but an immensely rewarding one.

My review of Natural Brown Prom Queen for musicOMH

KATY J PEARSON – SOUND OF THE MORNING

Another genre-hopping delight, Pearson’s second album dives into pastoral folk, synth pop and alt-rock. Dan Carey, who’s been behind many of the finest albums of the last few years, gave the whole thing an accessible sheen, and there’s even a cover version of a song from The Wicker Man soundtrack for good measure. A bit like Caroline Rose’s Loser album, this was a record that kept you guessing where it was going at every step.

My review of Sound Of The Morning at musicOMH

EZRA FURMAN – ALL OF US FLAMES

All Of Us Flames marked the concluding part of Furman’s trilogy of albums which began with 2018’s Transangelic Exodus, and continued with the following year’s 12 Nudes. This year’s instalment was the most impressive of the lot, embracing the Springsteen and Dylan comparisons and producing an album of full-on widescreen guitar rock. She’s updated the ‘classic rock’ template and the results were exhilarating, and, in the case of the closing track Come Close, completely heartbreaking.

My review of All Of Us Flames for musicOMH

YARD ACT – THE OVERLOAD

The debut album from the Leeds quartet managed to update the scratchy indie sound of the early 80s into a sound for a whole new generation. Lead singer James Smith disappeared into personas (alright, Graham?) on an album full of short, spiky post-punk songs Yet beneath the Yorkshire attitude there was also sincerity and heart, as demonstrated by songs like Tall Poppies. There was no room for Fixer Upper (one of the songs of 2021) which gave an indication of just how good this debut was. And even Elton John was a fan, collaborating with the band on a new version of album standout 100% Endurance (which also starred fellow famous fan, David Thewlis).

My review of The Overload for musicOMH

BLACK COUNTRY, NEW ROAD – ANTS FROM UP THERE

The second album by Black Country, New Roads may turn out to be their final one, at least in this particular guise. Lead singer Isaac Wood suddenly quit the band in January citing mental health issues, and although the rest of the band have said they’ll continue to make music, Wood’s presence will surely be missed. Ants From Up There is an album that will divide people – the songs are long, complex and intense, but completely magnetic. There are songs about eating toast in bed, making model aeroplanes and a repeated lyrical allusion to “Billie Eilish style”. It may leave you scratching your head, but in the very best way.

Alan Ashton-Smith’s review of Ants From Up There for musicOMH

Best of theatre – 2022

Hello! I’ve not blogged for a very long time, so the end of the year round-up seems to be a good time to restart things.

I’ve not seen as much theatre as I usually do this year, mainly due to a pesky Deep Vein Thrombosis that I suffered at the start of the year, which kept me in hospital for 5 nights, and left me pretty much housebound for 3 months as I couldn’t walk properly. Thankfully, that’s all a distant memory, and I managed to cram a fair amount into the last half of the year.

This is my personal Top 10 -it’s not in any order (as it’s impossible to grade, say, a big musical against a one-actor monologue), and I’ve included links to my review for The Stage, or where I haven’t reviewed it, a link to The Stage’s review.

So, without any further ado…

ROCK/PAPER/SCISSORS
Sheffield Crucible/Lyceum
June 2022

I said this was in no particular order, but this was definitely my highlight of the year. This was a staggering technical achievement from director Rob Hastie and writer Chris Bush – three separate plays, on three seperate stages, all performed simultaneously with the same cast. So, when a minor character from one play exits the stage, they reappear on a different stage to carry on the story as a main character.

As ever with Bush’s work, it’s full of heart and clever references to Sheffield – all three plays are set in a South Yorkshire factory and concentrate on different characters. Rock was performed on the Crucible’s main stage, set in the warehouse itself as Denise Black’s character muses over reopening it as a music venue. Paper was over at the Lyceum, concentrating on the relationship between Natalie Casey and Samantha Power’s characters who have family interests in the factory, and Scissors was on the shopfloor and explored the lives of the young workers who kept the factory going.

All three plays could be watched as standalones, but the best way to see them was in order on one day. If pushed, I’d say Scissors was my personal favourite, but the entire production was so impressive, in the way each production flawlessly moved from stage to stage. I’d imagine this was so exhausting for the cast and crew it’ll never happen again, but it was the perfect way to celebrate Sheffield Theatres’ 50th birthday.

My review of Rock Paper Scissors for The Stage

JERUSALEM
Apollo Theatre, London
April – July 2022

I missed Jez Butterworth’s landmark play when it was first premiered in 2009, so was very excited when it was announced during lockdown that it would be revived with (mostly) the original cast. Mark Rylance was indeed as incredible as everyone has said as Rooster Byron – maybe too incredible as his performance towers over everything else.

Admittedly, some parts of Butterworth’s script haven’t held up too well – but then, 2009 seems like an entirely different age to our post-Brexit present. The staging (featuring an enormous caravan, real trees and live chickens roaming around) was impressive enough (even from my seat high up in the balcony) and the story was painfully bleak yet also darkly funny. Yet it’s Rylance who burns himself on the memory, a performance for the ages.

Tim Bano’s review of Jerusalem for The Stage.

ACCIDENTAL DEATH OF AN ANARCHIST
Crucible, Sheffield
October 2022

I was so impressed with Tom Basden’s adaption of Dario Fo’s classic satire when I reviewed it that I immediately bought a ticket to see it again. It was a performance dominated by Daniel Rigby, a man whose comic genius has been known to many for some time, but this seemed to be the vehicle that would propel him to superstardom. He is wildly impressive as ‘The Maniac’, investigating a mysterious case of police brutality, sometimes calling to mind the late Robin Williams. Yes, he’s that good.

Rigby and the rest of the cast perform at breakneck speed (in fact, I’d say two viewings was essential to catch everything) and although it’s probably the funniest play I’ve seen this year, there are also some serious points made about the power of the police which are all too relevant to today, despite Fo’s script being over 50 years old (some stark statistics are projected onto the walls as the audience leaves).

It has a well deserved London transfer opening next year at the Lyric Hammersmith. If you’re anywhere near it, it’s a must watch.

My review of Accidental Death of An Anarchist for The Stage

THE 47th
Old Vic, London
March – May 2022

It was arguably a bit too soon to revisit Donald Trump’s chaotic four years in The White House, but Mike Bartlett solved this by writing one of his ‘future history’ works, imagining what another Trump run for the Presidency in 2024 may look like. It wasn’t quite as sharp and prescient as his previous play King Charles III, but it was elevated into my Top 10 by a staggering performance from Bertie Carvel as Trump.

I was lucky enough to bag a front row seat when I saw this, and to see Carvel as Trump up close was unsettling, to say the least. He got everything right – the mannerisms, the voice, the little glint in the eye, the self-satisfied smirk. He was helped by prosthetics of course, but at times, it was quite terrifyingly real to be sat in front of him.

Thankfully, it seems as if the Trump electoral magic may be wearing off now (at the time of writing, at least), so this doesn’t have the historical fascination that King Charles III did, but Carvel was worth the price of admission alone – strangely, he also pops up at the end of season 5 of The Crown playing another divisive world leader, Tony Blair.

Natasha Tripney’s review of The 47th for The Stage

BLOODY ELLE
Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh
August 2022

My first Fringe for three whole years was a much welcome return to normality in 2022, and Bloody Elle was a definite highlight. Previously performed at Manchester’s Royal Exchange in 2021, this is a funny, poignant monologue from Lauryn Redding about one woman, her guitar and her life in Manchester. Redding is absolutely fantastic, whether she’s singing or dropping into various characters, and she’s definitely a name destined for big things.

Redding and director Bryony Shanahan use loop pedals, beatboxing and solo guitar to create music that serves as the perfect background to hear Elle’s story. It’s ostensibly a coming of age story, as Elle falls in love with her co-worker Eve – there are class differences and homophobia to overcome, and it’s a story you end up thinking about a long time after you’ve left the theatre.

Natasha Tripney’s review of Bloody Elle from the 2021 production at the Royal Exchange for The Stage

LEARNING TO FLY
Summerhall, Edinburgh
August 2022 (and touring through Autumn 2022)

James Rowland has long been one of my favourite storytellers, and Learning To Fly was a welcome return from him after his Songs Of Friendship trilogy. Another highlight of my Edinburgh trip (and one I went to see again when he performed in Sheffield in November), this was the typically wistful and bittersweet tale of a young James’ unlikely friendship with his elderly neighbour.

To say too much would be spoiling things, but Rowland pulls the audience through a story which you’re never entirely sure is going where you think it’s going – it has the usual heart, humour and love of humanity that has become his trademark. There’s no props, no gimmicks, no stage set even – simply, one man, a record player and a Beethoven symphony, and it’s all the better for that.

Lyn Gardener’s review of Learning To Fly for The Stage

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
Crucible, Sheffield and touring
September 2022

I’ll be honest, I’ve seen so many productions of Much Ado, I didn’t think I needed to see another. However, Ramps On The Moon’s version is Shakespeare like you’ve never seen before. ROTM cast actors with a wide range of disabilities, and accessibility and diversity is shot through this production. From the minute the characters introduce themselves to the audience, you know you’re in for a treat.

It’s hugely funny and fast moving (with even a country music hoe-down being introduced at one point), and Daneka Etchells is one of the best Beatrice’s I’ve ever seen – Etchells is an autistic performer, and when her character’s heart breaks, her unsuppressed tics make the performance incredibly powerful. Robert Hastie’s version also has a few sly nods to modern pop culture – whether it be Benedick muttering “I pity the fool” or Don Pedro alluding to Hamlet with “aye, there’s the rub” when receiving a massage. A big, fun version of Shakespeare that deserves to be seen far and wide

My review of Much Ado About Nothing for The Stage

MANIC STREET CREATURE
Summerhall, Edinburgh
August 2022

I first saw Maimuna Memon when she starred in Standing At The Sky’s Edge (more of which coming up) and blew everyone away with her performance of Richard Hawley’s Open Up Your Door. Manic Street Creature is her own personal project, and is a fine demonstration of her talent. It’s a musical tale of a Lancashire musician called Ria, who arrives in London and embarks on a relationship with Daniel, which is where the tale takes a darker turn.

Memon touches on mental illness and anxiety without ever becoming maudlin or hectoring – her original songs showcase her impressive voice, and the whole show is performed as a gig, but with a story being threaded through it. Memon has also released her own songs (under the name Munah) and is currently reprising her role at Sky’s Edge. A real name to watch out for in 2023.

Fergus Morgan’s review of Manic Street Creature for The Stage

STANDING AT THE SKY’S EDGE
Crucible, Sheffield
December 2022 – January 2023

Possibly recency bias as I’ve only seen this a few days ago, but I said when I first saw Standing At The Sky’s Edge in 2019 that it was one of the best things I’ve ever seen on the Crucible stage, and a second viewing only confirms that.

Chris Bush (who has had quite the 2022) and Richard Hawley have combined forces to produce a gorgeous, funny and emotional tribute to Park Hill flats, the listed building which looms over Sheffield’s railway station. Yet this isn’t a jukebox musical (in a similar way to Girl From The North Country, Hawley’s songs are used to deepen the characters and the story, rather than being cheesily crammed in), and it’s not even about Sheffield. Rather its a story about home (wherever that may be), roots, identity and family.

And it’s wonderful. It’s powerful when it needs to be (the incredible end to the first half), funny, boasts some terrific acting from the likes of Alex Young and Rachel Wooding, and has an ending that will melt the stoniest of hearts. In fact, that ending may be one of the most emotional things I’ve ever seen on stage – you can literally hear the audience almost catch their breath and stifle a sob.

It’s transferring to the National in early 2023 and deserves to be seen far and wide. It’s one of the best musicals I’ve ever seen, and I’m already booked in to see it twice more.

My review of Standing At The Sky’s Edge (2019 production) for The Stage

PRIMA FACIE
Harold Pinter Theatre, London
April – June 2022

This is admittedly a bit of a cheat, as I didn’t see it live on stage, but rather streamed in a cinema on an NT live production. But I had to include it, as Britain’s newest National Treasure Jodie Comer (in her stage debut, believe it or not) puts in a performance that has to be seen to be believed.

Comer plays a trainee barrister, full of northern attitude as she comes up against class prejudice, and then her world is turned upside down when she’s sexually assaulted. It’s just Comer onstage for the duration (backed by Rebecca Lucy Taylor’s eerie score) and to watch her spiral through her emotions is hard to watch, yet impossible to take your eyes from.

It’s transferring to Broadway in the Spring – another step in Comer’s incredible progression to becoming one of our most celebrated, and talented, exports.

Natasha Tripney’s review of Prima Facie for The Stage