After finding West End stars for The Sound Of Music (Connie Fisher) and Joseph & His Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat (Lee Mead), Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber returns as god-like judge for I'd Do Anything – aiming to cast street urchin Oliver Twist and tart-with-a-heart Nancy for a revival of the musical Oliver!I didn't pay any attention to How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? and only caught a few episodes of Any Dream Will Do, but it's easy to see the appeal of this BBC singing contest compared to the likes of ITVs X-Factor. Simply put: if you win Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber's show, you'll definitely get West End fame and genuine credibility in the industry. If you win Simon Cowell's X-Factor, you'll likely get a Christmas Number One and only possibly achieve credible fame -- depending on the capricious British public and if Mr Cowell's not too busy in America.
For that reason, I'd Do Anything has a tangible excitement about it. Well, that's if you're particularly bothered about who's playing Oliver and Nancy. I've never been to a West End show – but if I had, I don't think I'd sit there with vague disappointment that I didn't vote for any of the performers on a reality show's 12-week run.
But I can see why the singing hopefuls and their families get excited, and I'd Do Anything at least has the good grace to forego a torturous few months of auditioning Britain's bewildered. No, after just the first show we're down to 42 Nancy's (who have gone through to "Nancy School" – oo-er) and 12 Olivers.
The auditions threw up a multitude of questions in my mind. I'll admit it took me a while to realise what the logo "N?" referred to. Until I saw the "O?" logo. But more pressingly: why did the judges ummm-and-aaah over the age of a teenage girl (because the Nancy character is a full-bodied woman), but calmly let Cleopatra through – despite the fact she's black? I'm not being racist, and perhaps my historical knowledge is totally wrong here, but is it be feasible for a Dickensian lass to be from an ethnic background? I know there have been occasions when black actors have played Shakespearian roles usually performed by white people, but you don't see a white man playing Malcolm X, do you?
Of the Nancy's, two stuck out in my mind from the auditions: larger-than-life fruitcake Jodie (who has the stage presence and personality) and genuine East End girl Nancy (who had the attitude and accent). Hopefully it won't become a two-woman race already, and other Nancy's will show their talents in the weeks to come.
Of the Olivers, it's less certain – primarily because the producers of the show are scared of allowing little kids to sing alone, for millions of people on TV. So they instead sing in big groups, and are only occasionally asked to sing solo. I can understand their concerns (it would be awful if a 10-year-old got stage fright on primetime Saturday night live TV), but what happens when it comes down to the last 3 kids? Isn't that glare of attention still bad enough? And will they always have to sing in pairs/groups for the next 12 weeks?
The judges are an interesting bunch. Obviously Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber is the crowning jewel – a living legend of the theatre biz. But there's also Denise Van Outen (common-as-muck until she sings), and John Barrowman (now ubiquitous across the BBC, with pearly-whites that can burn out retinas). There was also a stereotypical theatre luvvie on hand, to cry at the drop of a hat. Strangely, two of the judges have yet to appear: Cameron Mackintosh (the brains behind the new Oliver production) and Barry Humphries (best known as Dame Edna Everage, but he also originated the Oliver role of Mr Sowerberry and played Fagin!)
So yes, if you liked the previous two incarnations of this show, I'm sure you'll love this. But I can't say it has my interest -- because I have no intention of going to see Oliver in the West End. I just can't quite see why anyone can get that engrossed if you're not related to the singers, or don't have a vested interest in the success of the show.
But, if you love your musicals (and particularly all the songs from Oliver), you probably finished watching this episode thinking: "please sir, I want some more..."
15 March 2008
BBC1, 7.30 pm
