ShenTens: Mark Shenton chooses his theatrical Top Tens.

This week is a suggestion from one of our regular listeners, Tony Lacey who hails from the south west of France, for Mark to look at his favourite Broadway shows that are yet to make it across the Atlantic or to the West End, and he'd love to see here.

The month of June means is it is the annual celebration of LGBTQ+ Pride month, where we remember the progress made since the riots that took place at the Stonewall pub in Greenwich Village at the end of June 1969, which provided a catalyst for the political activism that has led to the massive social changes we've seen in the last few decades, including marriage equality in many countries around the world, including the US, Britain and elsewhere.

This week, Mark chooses his Top Ten Gay Plays.

This is the time of year when we typically defy Britain's unpredictable weather and decide that since its summer, we will sit in the outdoors  to watch theatre, come rain or shine.

The arrival of COVID last year gave new impetus to staging theatre outdoors, as it is far safer to mingle there than inside; only a handful of live venues were able to operate last summer outdoors, with the Open Air Theatre in Regent's Park reviving its hit production of Jesus Christ Superstar and the Minack Theatre in Cornwall hosting professional runs of Educating Rita and a new production of The Last 5 Years. A few other pop-up venues turned up, too, including one in the back garden of a pub in Vauxhall, where I saw a wonderful production of Pippin.

This week, Mark chooses his favourite outdoor theatres.

One thing that has sustained Mark through the pandemic has been cast albums, the living bridge we have to the shows of the present as well as the past. But they have have accompanied him through his life, not just through the pandemic. This week he chooses his top ten.

Mark can't get the list down to 20, let alone 10 Broadway theatres that he loves, so this week there's a different sort of format...

Having spent the last couple of weeks celebrating his favourite regional theatre venues across the UK and favourite London theatres beyond the West End, this week Mark is looking at some of the shows that play at them.

Jukebox musicals have become a staple of Broadway and the West End for a while now; familiarity, you could say, breeds contented audiences. As Mamma Mia! used to tag the show in their advertising, "You already know you've going to love it!"

Last week Mark celebrated the imminent return of live performances to British theatres by turning his focus onto the ShenTens favourite regional theatre venues; He's previously also named my favourite West End theatres in another ShenTens.

Today its time to celebrate some more of the amazing venues that have made London one of the great world cities for theatre.

As the easing of a full five month lockdown looks likely to partially re-opens British theatre (and society) after more than a year overall, this week Mark is celebrating the imminent return of live performances to British theatres by turning his focus on his ShenTens favourite regional theatre venues.

Today Mark is going to visit the past. Some past (some fairly recent) legends of musical theatre's great Broadway leading ladies.

Mark has already chosen his top favourite musical leading men and leading ladies on both sides of the Atlantic; this week he's looking at some rising stars, the next generation of performers who are already making their mark, in London.