Latest news with #MerylStreep
Rhyl Journal
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Rhyl Journal
Mamma Mia! coming to Llandudno as extra dates announced
Mamma Mia! embarks on a new UK tour from October 24, and now further dates and venues have been announced - including Venue Cymru in Llandudno. The new dates and venues for 2026 are: Hull New Theatre (7 – 18 April), Venue Cymru, Llandudno (21–25 April), Blackpool Opera House (28 April –3 May), Birmingham Hippodrome (12–30 May), Hall for Cornwall, Truro (2 –13 June), Leeds Grand Theatre (16 – Sat 27 June), Norwich Theatre Royal (30 June –11 July), Eastbourne Congress Theatre (14 –19 July), Bournemouth Pavillion Theatre (28 July – 2 August), King's Theatre Glasgow (13 – 29 August 2026). Previously announced dates are: Mayflower Theatre, Southampton (24 October – 8 November 2025), Bristol Hippodrome (11 - 22 November 2025), New Theatre Oxford (25 November – 6 December 2025), Edinburgh Playhouse (9 December 2025 – 4 January 2026) Swansea Building Society Arena (13 January – 24 January 2026), His Majesty's Theatre, Aberdeen (27 January – 7 February 2026), Newcastle Theatre Royal (11 – 28 February 2026), Palace Theatre Manchester (3 – 21 March 2026), Curve, Leicester (24 - 29 March 2026). Mamma Mia! From West End to global phenomenon, Mamma Mia! is Judy Craymer's ingenious vision of staging the story-telling magic of ABBA's timeless songs with a sunny, funny tale of a mother, a daughter and three possible dads unfolding on a Greek island idyll. This irresistibly funny show has been thrilling audiences all around the world and now there's never been a better time to see this unforgettable musical. Now in its 26th year, the show has been seen by over 11 million people and has played over 10,000 performances in London's West End. The international tour has visited 42 countries in the past 20 years, performed more than 3,800 shows and has been seen by over 7.3 million people. Mamma Mia! Mamma Mia became the 9th longest running show in Broadway history where it played a record-breaking run for 14 years. In 2011, it became the first Western musical ever to be staged in Mandarin in the People's Republic of China. Produced by Judy Craymer, Mamma Mia! The Movie became the highest grossing live action musical film of all time upon its release in 2008. A second film, Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!, opened in July 2018 and became the most successful live musical movie sequel of all time. Both films starred Meryl Streep, Christine Baranski, Julie Walters, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, Amanda Seyfried and Dominic Cooper, with Lily James, Andy Garcia and Cher joining them in the second film. With music & lyrics by Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus, Mamma Mia! is written by Catherine Johnson, directed by Phyllida Lloyd and choreographed by Anthony Van Laast. The production is designed by Mark Thompson, with lighting design by Howard Harrison, sound design by Andrew Bruce & Bobby Aitken, and musical supervision, additional material & arrangements by Martin Koch. Casting for the UK tour has yet to be confirmed.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
The 10 best audiobooks for summer
A gloriously gossipy portrait of Hollywood power couple Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, Roger Lewis's twin biography is read with just the right amount of archness by actor Justin Avoth. The 'erotic vagrancy' of the title refers to a statement issued by the pope during the pair's brazen antics in Rome while filming Cleopatra when they frolicked on a yacht in full view of the paparazzi. Both were married, but not to each other. Available via Riverrun, 22hr 58min This Pulitzer prize-winning retelling of Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is seen through the eyes of 'Jim', an enslaved Black man and friend of teen runaway Huck and his pal Tom Sawyer. It is read by Dominic Hoffman, whose performance is wry and charismatic, highlighting the code-switching of the protagonist and giving the character an agency denied him by Twain. Available via Mantle, 7hr 49min Patchett brought in the big guns for the audio version of her novel about a family who are reunited for the cherry harvest on their Michigan farm. Meryl Streep gives terrific voice to matriarch Lara and her three adult daughters Maisie, Emily and Nell. As they set to work, the girls quiz their mother about an idyllic summer in her youth when she joined a production of Thornton Wilder's Our Town, during which she had an affair with the leading man. Available via Bloomsbury, 11hr 22min Nicholls's sixth romcom is ideally set up for a dual narration, which comes courtesy of actors Lydia Leonard and Lee Ingleby. Leonard is Marnie, a divorced copy editor from London who has come to the Lake District for a group hike along Alfred Wainwright's coast-to-coast route. Leading the walkers is Ingleby's Michael, an earnest geography teacher with a passion for rock formations. The pair are frosty at first but, as others in the group flake out, they find they have more in common than they thought. Available via WF Howes, 8hr 27min Move over David Suchet, there's a new Hercule Poirot in town. This adaptation of Christie's first novel stars Peter Dinklage as the moustached sleuth called to investigate an incident at an Essex country house. Emily is a widow who has recently remarried a man 20 years her junior. When she cries out in the night, her adult children find her bedroom is locked from the inside. But when they break down the door, she is already dead. Available via Audible Originals, 3hr 53min You don't have to be a royalist to enjoy this portrait of Elizabeth II, expertly narrated by Harriet Walter, which also examines the psyche of her subjects. Instead of a biographical account, it is a patchwork of news reports, documentary excerpts, letters, diary entries, overheard anecdotes and even dreams. From these we learn that Kingsley Amis loaded up on Imodium before meeting Her Majesty lest he fart in her orbit and that Paul Theroux dreamed about leaning his head in her bosom. Available via 4th Estate, 19hr 46min A fictionalised account of a real-life gangster from Trinidad, Persaud's evocative novel tells of a pirate who terrorised the inhabitants of Port of Spain and the Gulf of Paria in the 1940s and 50s. Told in Trinidadian dialect by four women with whom he was involved, it is alternately narrated by Persaud (who reads Mana Lala), Melanie La Barrie (Popo), Martina Laird (Doris) and Chanel Quesnel (Rosie). Each give lively and nuanced readings as they provide troubling glimpses into the life of a charismatic yet dangerous man. Available via Faber, 14hr 11min The world is not short of versions of Highsmith's novel – the first of five – about a scammer who inveigles his way into the lives of the rich and well heeled, but this audio edition is excellent. Actor David Menkin shines as Tom Ripley, who blends guilelessness and duplicity as he wins the trust of Dickie Greenleaf, son of a shipping magnate, who is living the high life on Italy's Amalfi coast. Available via Little Brown Audio, 9hr A captivating tale of identity and discovery, Desai's novella opens with Bonita being accosted by an elderly stranger who recognises her as the daughter of an old friend from art school. This triggers memories of a painting that hung in Bonita's childhood home that, in turn, leads her to explore her family's past. Narrator Meera Simhan leans into the dreamlike quality of Desai's prose in which reality and imagination collide. Available via Picador, 2hr 33min 'Do you know what it feels like when you dive?' asks six-year-old Sophie. 'Of course I do,' replies her grandmother. 'You let go of everything … And you glide.' Set on a tiny Finnish island, this 1972 novella by the Moomins creator Tove Jansson finds the pair beach combing, making up stories, bickering and laughing. All the while, Sophie's grandmother teaches her young charge about respect for nature. Julie Walters's narration is a delight: her Sophie is insistent and curious while her grandmother is variously playful, cranky and wise. Available via Saga Egmont, 4hr 1min
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
UK audiobook revenue up by almost a third last year
Whether it's plugging in to Benedict Cumberbatch reading Austen while doing the washing up or listening to Meryl Streep narrate Nora Ephron's Heartburn on the way to work, the UK is increasingly getting into audiobooks. Audiobook revenue generated by UK publishers rose by 31% between 2023 and 2024, with income from audiobooks reaching a record £268m last year, according to the Publishers Association (PA), the body representing UK publishers. 'We're seeing a real demand for audiobooks given the unique way they fit into our increasingly busy lives,' said Debbie Hicks, creative director at The Reading Agency charity. 'Audiobooks make reading more accessible, whether that's for people with dyslexia or visual impairments, or simply those who struggle to find time to sit down with a traditional book.' Many listeners value 'the ability to multitask' that comes with audiobooks, added Hicks. 'You can listen to audiobooks while commuting, exercising or doing chores. For young adults especially, audiobooks are a natural fit with how they live and read.' Audiobooks have 'soared in popularity over the past 10 years', said Dan Conway, chief executive at the PA. 'The same is true of podcasts, so clearly audio content in general is hugely on the rise.' 'Publishers have invested more and more in producing high-quality content that grabs attention,' he added. 'Some of the most successful audiobooks of the past few years have offered listeners the opportunity to hear world-renowned figures deliver their stories themselves. We have also seen full cast productions, high-profile casting and innovative recording techniques.' Tina, who runs the book-themed Instagram account @tbretc and listened to more than 100 audiobooks last year, said that her life is 'busier than ever', so audiobooks allow her to 'enjoy myself while doing the many life tasks that come with being a working mom of two'. Audiobook production has also 'come a long way, and sometimes listening to a story brings an even better experience than reading a book with your eyes', she said. The PA also reported fiction revenue rising 18% between 2023 and 2024, surpassing £1bn for the first time. 'Fiction growth has been driven by fantasy and romance,' said Conway. 'The desire for escapism in these tumultuous times may be a factor in the recent success of these genres.' While revenue for consumer nonfiction – which excludes academic and education books – saw a 4% decrease, this fall brought the category in line with fiction, with both bringing in £1.1bn each in 2024. Revenue from children's books remained static at £413m. Digital revenue – encompassing audiobooks and ebooks – rose 17% between 2023 and 2024 in the consumer market, to £566m. 'It's fantastic to see fiction, audiobooks and digital thrived in 2024,' added Conway. 'Clearly publishers have been giving book lovers what they want with engaging content in a range of formats.' The digital revenue figure includes earnings through subscriptions such as Spotify's Premium, which allows 15 hours of audiobook listening per month. Spotify saw a 35% rise in listening hours between January 2024 and January 2025. 'Whether it's during a commute, at the gym, or taking a walk, audiobooks open up storytelling in those in-between moments', said Duncan Bruce, director of audiobook partnerships and licensing. 'We've also removed the friction for people to try an audiobook for the first time, placing it in the centre of one of the world's most used apps. We've seen strong crossover from music and podcasts, with fans discovering audiobooks through artists like Blink-182, Britney Spears and Bob Dylan, and podcasters including Louis Theroux and Steven Bartlett, proving audiobooks have the power to spark a whole new love of reading.' Audiobooks are 'helping to engage people who don't usually consider themselves readers,' agreed The Reading Agency's Hicks. They are 'a gateway into the joy of reading for many who might otherwise feel excluded'. Like Spotify, Audible has seen 'substantial increases in membership and listening hours, including a 22% rise in our kids' content offerings, as well as huge uptick in engagement and appetite across genres like romance and LitRPG [literary role-playing games]', said its chief content officer Rachel Ghiazza. 'Advances in production have made the audiobook experience increasingly immersive and accessible,' she added. 'Though substantial progress has been made, the audiobook sector remains an emerging and rapidly evolving space.' The PA also reported print revenue experiencing a 2% rise in the consumer market across 2023 and 2024, to £2bn. 'While digital has been growing faster it's important to remember that print is still by far the preferred medium in the consumer market, accounting for 78% of revenue,' it said. The export market for consumer, academic and education books saw a 3% increase to £4.5bn last year – this constituted 63% of the publishing industry's overall revenue.
Tom's Guide
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn and Bruce Willis are totally unhinged in this campy '90s comedy — stream it free on YouTube
'Death Becomes Her' fooled me the first time I saw it. I saw the weird effects and the hole in Goldie Hawn's stomach, and wrote it off as a glossy, over-the-top comedy. But after rewatching it years later, it's clear this movie knew exactly what it was doing. "Death Becomes Her" is actually a razor-sharp satire disguised as a campy farce, and it's way more ruthless — and relevant — than it gets credit for. There's actually a lot of substance here. It serves up some brutal commentary on aging, beauty standards, and how women are punished for daring to lose their youth. Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn go all in, and Bruce Willis gives one of the weirdest, most satisfying performances of his career as a nervous, aging plastic surgeon stuck between two immortal narcissists. People remember 'Death Becomes Her' for its outrageous visuals (or they're reminded now thanks to its popular Broadway-inspired TikTok memes), but what's aged best is the writing. The jokes are mean. The characters are absurd. The message still lands. It predicted the influencer era, Botox addiction and toxic body culture with almost uncomfortable accuracy. And it's free to watch right now on YouTube. "Death Becomes Her" is a dark comedy about two women who are obsessed with youth, beauty and destroying each other. One of them is Madeline Ashton (Meryl Streep), a former stage star who thrives on attention and can't stand the idea of aging. Her longtime rival, Helen Sharp (Goldie Hawn), is quieter at first but just as driven by jealousy and resentment. The two have been locked in a petty and extremely toxic competition for years, mostly centered around one man. That man is Ernest Menville (Bruce Willis), a plastic surgeon who was originally Helen's fiancé, but Madeline stole him away just to prove she could. By the time the main story begins, the marriage has fallen apart. Ernest is bitter and drunk, Helen has vanished, and Madeline is starting to panic about her fading looks and stalled career. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Then Helen shows up again, looking younger than ever. That's when things spiral into madness. Madeline discovers a secret potion that grants eternal youth, sold by a mysterious woman named Lisle (Isabella Rossellini). Of course, there's a catch, and soon both women have taken the potion. Instead of solving their problems, it turns them into indestructible corpses who keep fighting, literally tearing each other apart in a war of insults, injuries, and perfect outfits. "Death Becomes Her" is a sharp, strange comedy that doesn't really feel like anything else from the early '90s. The cast is great, for one thing. Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn, and Bruce Willis all play against type, and it works. Streep and Hawn are two aging rivals fighting to stay young, and Willis is stuck in the middle as their unhappy, slightly terrified plastic surgeon. And you won't find anything as crazy as Streep's performance here. If you're a fan of her work, it's a must-watch. You don't have to be into dark comedies or '90s movies to enjoy this. If you've ever watched a movie about people going too far to hold onto their youth or image, this one goes all in. The effects are intentionally over-the-top, and it might even turn a few stomachs. But it's nothing so creepy that it veers off into horror. It's still catty, lighthearted fun that only Streep and Hawn could provide. The movie also holds up better than you might expect. It moves quickly, the jokes still land, and the themes haven't aged at all. Watching it now, it's easy to see why it became a cult favorite, especially with how it balances comedy with something a little darker underneath. And I'm so glad that it's come back to please TikTokers with its Broadway adaptation. Watch "Death Becomes Her" free on YouTube
The Independent
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Celebrity birthdays for the week of June 22-28
Celebrity birthdays for the week of June 22-28: June 22: Actor Klaus Maria Brandauer is 82. Journalist Brit Hume is 82. Singer Peter Asher of Peter and Gordon is 81. Singer Howard 'Eddie' Kaylan of The Turtles is 78. Singer Todd Rundgren is 77. Singer Alan Osmond of The Osmonds is 76. Actor Meryl Streep is 76. Actor Lindsay Wagner ('The Bionic Woman') is 76. Actor Graham Greene ('Dances With Wolves') is 73. Singer Cyndi Lauper is 72. Actor Chris Lemmon ('Airport '77') is 71. Bassist Derek Forbes (Simple Minds) is 69. Bassist Garry Beers of INXS is 68. Actor Bruce Campbell ('Evil Dead,' 'The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.') is 67. Bassist Alan Anton of Cowboy Junkies is 66. Actor Tracy Pollan ('Family Ties') is 65. Keyboardist Jimmy Somerville (Bronski Beat) is 64. Actor Amy Brenneman is 61. Singer Mike Edwards of Jesus Jones is 61. Singer Steven Page (Barenaked Ladies) is 55. Actor Michael Trucco ('How I Met Your Mother,' 'Battlestar Galactica') is 55. Actor Mary Lynn Rajskub ('24″) is 54. TV personality Carson Daly is 52. Guitarist Chris Traynor (Helmet) is 52. Actor Donald Faison ('Scrubs') is 51. Actor Lecy Goranson ('The Connors,' 'Roseanne') is 51. Comedian Mike O'Brien ('Saturday Night Live') is 49. TV personality Jai Rodriguez ('Queer Eye for the Straight Guy') is 46. Actor Lindsay Ridgeway ('Boy Meets World') is 40. Singer Dinah Jane (Fifth Harmony) is 28. June 23: Singer Diana Trask is 85. Actor Ted Shackelford ('Knots Landing') is 79. Actor Bryan Brown ('The Thorn Birds') is 78. Actor Jim Metzler ('North and South') is 74. Former 'American Idol' judge Randy Jackson is 69. Actor Frances McDormand is 68. Drummer Steve Shelley of Sonic Youth is 63. Director Joss Whedon ('The Avengers,' ″Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.') is 61. Singer Chico DeBarge is 55. Actor Selma Blair is 53. Actor Joel Edgerton ('Loving') is 51. Singer KT Tunstall is 50. Singer Virgo Williams of Ghost Town DJs is 50. Actor Emmanuelle Vaugier ('Two and a Half Men') is 49. Singer-songwriter Jason Mraz is 48. Actor Melissa Rauch ('The Big Bang Theory') is 45. Singer Duffy is 41. June 24: Singer Arthur Brown is 83. Actor Michele Lee is 83. Actor-director Georg Stanford Brown ('The Rookies') is 82. Singer Colin Blunstone of The Zombies is 80. Drummer Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac is 78. Actor Peter Weller is 78. Bassist John Illsley of Dire Straits is 76. Actor Nancy Allen ('RoboCop,' 'Carrie') is 75. Reggae singer Derrick Simpson of Black Uhuru is 75. Actor Joe Penny ('Jake and the Fatman,' ″Riptide') is 69. Singer-keyboardist Andy McCluskey of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark is 66. Musician Siedah Garrett is 65. Actor Iain Glen ('Game of Thrones') is 64. Bassist Curt Smith of Tears for Fears is 64. Actor Danielle Spencer ('What's Happening') is 60. Actor Sherry Stringfield ('ER') is 58. Singer Glenn Medeiros is 55. Actor Carla Gallo ('Bones') is 50. Actor Amir Talai ('LA to Vegas') is 48. Actor Mindy Kaling ('The Mindy Project,' ″The Office') is 46. Actor Minka Kelly is 45. Actor Vanessa Ray ('Blue Bloods') is 44. Actor Justin Hires (2016′s 'MacGyver,' ″Rush Hour') is 40. Actor Candice Patton (TV's 'The Flash') is 40. Singer Solange Knowles is 39. Actor Max Ehrich ('The Young and the Restless,' ″Under the Dome') is 34. Actor Beanie Feldstein ('Lady Bird') is 32. June 25: Actor June Lockhart is 100. Singer Eddie Floyd is 88. Actor Barbara Montgomery ('Amen,' ″The Women of Brewster Place') is 86. Actor Mary Beth Peil ('The Good Wife,' ″Dawson's Creek') is 85. Singer Carly Simon is 82. Actor-comedian Jimmie Walker is 78. Director-actor Michael Lembeck (directed 'Santa Clause,' acted in 'One Day at a Time') is 77. Singer Tim Finn of Split Enz and Crowded House is 73. Keyboardist David Paich of Toto is 71. Actor Michael Sabatino ('NYPD Blue') is 70. Actor-comedian Ricky Gervais is 64. Actor John Benjamin Hickey ('The Big C') is 62. Actor Erica Gimpel (TV's 'Fame,' ″Profiler') is 61. Rapper Richie Rich is 58. Guitarist Sean Kelly (Sixpence None the Richer) is 54. Actor Angela Kinsey ('The Office') is 54. Bassist Mike Kroeger of Nickelback is 53. Actor Linda Cardellini ('ER,' ″Scooby Doo') is 50. Actor Busy Philipps ('ER,' ″Dawson's Creek') is 46. June 26: Jazz pianist Dave Grusin is 91. Singer Billy Davis Jr. of the Fifth Dimension is 87. Singer Georgie Fame is 82. Actor Clive Francis ('The Crown') is 79. Singer Brenda Holloway is 79. Actor Michael Paul Chan ('The Closer') is 75. Actor Robert Davi ('Profiler') is 74. Musician Mick Jones of The Clash is 70. Actor Gedde Watanabe ('ER,' ″Sixteen Candles') is 70. Singer Chris Isaak is 69. Singer Patty Smyth is 68. Singer Terri Nunn of Berlin is 66. Singer Harriet Wheeler of The Sundays is 62. Guitarist Eddie Perez of The Mavericks is 57. Bassist Colin Greenwood of Radiohead is 56. Writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson ('Magnolia,' ″Boogie Nights') is 55. Actor Sean Hayes ('Will & Grace') is 55. Actor Matt Letscher ('Eli Stone,' ″The New Adventures of Old Christine') is 55. Actor Chris O'Donnell is 55. Actor Nick Offerman ('Parks and Recreation') is 55. Keyboardist Jeff Frankenstein of Newsboys is 51. Singer Gretchen Wilson is 51. Drummer Nathan Followill of Kings of Leon is 46. Singer Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic is 46. Actor Jason Schwartzman ('Slackers,' ″Rushmore') is 45. Actor Aubrey Plaza ('Parks and Recreation') is 41. Actor Jennette McCurdy ('iCarly') is 33. Singer-actor Ariana Grande is 32. June 27: Singer Bruce Johnston of the Beach Boys is 83. Actor Julia Duffy ('Newhart') is 74. Actor Isabelle Adjani is 70. Country singer Lorrie Morgan is 66. Writer-director J.J. Abrams ('Star Wars: The Force Awakens,' ″Alias') is 59. Singer Draco Rosa (Menudo) is 56. Actor Edward 'Grapevine' Fordham Jr. ('Battle Creek') is 55. TV personality Jo Frost ('Supernanny') is 54. Actor Yancey Arias ('Kingpin') is 54. Actor Christian Kane ('Leverage,' 'The Librarians') is 53. Actor Tobey Maguire is 50. Singer Leigh Nash of Sixpence None the Richer is 49. Christian rock singer Zach Williams is 47. Reality star Khloe Kardashian is 41. Actor Drake Bell ('Drake and Josh') is 39. Actor Sam Claflin ('Hunger Games' films) is 39. Actor Ed Westwick ('Gossip Girl') is 38. Actor Matthew Lewis ('Harry Potter' films) is 36. Actor Madylin Sweeten ('Everybody Loves Raymond') is 34. Singer Lauren Jauregui of Fifth Harmony is 29. Singer H.E.R. is 28. Actor Chandler Riggs ('The Walking Dead') is 26. June 28: Comedian-director Mel Brooks is 99. Comedian John Byner is 88. Bassist Dave Knights of Procol Harum is 80. Actor Bruce Davison ('X-Men') is 79 Actor Kathy Bates is 77. Actor Alice Krige is 71. Jazz singer Tierney Sutton is 62. Guitarist-violinist Saul Davies of James is 60. Actor Jessica Hecht ('Friends,' ″The Single Guy') is 60. Actor John Cusack is 59. Actor Mary Stuart Masterson is 59. Actor Gil Bellows ('The Agency,' 'Ally McBeal') is 58. Actor Tichina Arnold ('The Neighborhood,' 'Everybody Hates Chris') is 56. Actor-songwriter Danielle Brisebois ('All in the Family') is 56. Jazz saxophonist Jimmy Sommers is 56. Actor Steve Burton ('The Young and the Restless') is 55. Bassist Tim Nordwind of OK Go is 49. Bassist Mark Stoermer of The Killers is 48. Singer and former 'American Idol' contestant Kellie Pickler is 39.
