ShenTens: Mark Shenton chooses his theatrical Top Tens.

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.

Mark has spent the last few weeks looking at some of his favourite musical theatre personalities on both sides of the Atlantic, but today he's taking a sideways look at something completely different- his top ten guilty theatrical pleasures. The sort of things you're kind of embarrassed to admit you enjoy.

You've already heard Mark talk about his top ten favourite leading ladies of Broadway musicals in this series. Today it's the turn of the men -- a slightly less hotly contested category, but nevertheless still crucial.

Last week Mark chose his top ten favourite Broadway Leading Ladies; today it's the turn of the West End, with his top ten favourites. This was quite possibly the hardest list to compile, so far...

Today may prove to be one of his most controversial episodes yet, because everyone has an opinion on this, namely, who they'd choose as their personal favourite Broadway leading ladies? Who will be number one..?

This week's episode is particularly bittersweet, as we can't actually go to any at the moment: Mark's favourite West End theatres.

Next month will mark the first anniversary on March 15 when they were suddenly shut down thanks to the prohibition on public gatherings instituted by COVID, and although there was a brief return for some in November, they've gone back into hibernation and there's no return date now for when they're likely to re-open. So this week Mark pays a virtual visit to some of them.

Having looked at his top ten favourite musicals, top ten favourite movie musicals and  top ten Sondheim songs, this week Mark turns to a guilty pleasure, his Top Ten Musical Flops.

In Mark's third episode he chooses his top ten Sondheim songs.

Last week Mark chose his top ten favourite musicals. Today, he's going to choose his favourite movie musicals.

Back in the day, Broadway and West End musicals were regularly turned into feature films, and though there's a fair few of those in this top ten list, these days it is the stage that depends on the movies for inspiration a lot.

In his Pilot episode, this week Mark chooses his Top Ten Favourite Musicals. This doesn't mean they're the best musicals in his opinion. They're just his favourites.