November 2008 Archives

“Zoe Tyler told me to clench my buttocks.”

That was the vocal coach’s advice to Graham Norton on discovering he is to take over the role of Albin in La Cage Aux Folles — not, I hasten to add, in order to squeeze into the slinky dresses he will don as Albin’s alter-ego Zaza, but to improve his singing voice. Well, it might help with hitting those high notes, at least…

After Gareth Gates’ troubles with the Technicolour Dreamcoat yesterday as he was revealed as the next Joseph, you’ll forgive me for feeling a little trepidation as Graham Norton tottered down the stairs on the Playhouse Theatre stage, in full drag, to greet the gathered press and photgraphers. But, ever the professional, Graham gracefully descended, and even managed to out-pout and out-pose the Cagelles who presented him.

Gareth Gates was finally announced as Lee Mead’s successor in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat this morning (finally dispelling that oh-so-convincing Gethin Jones rumour) and it has to be said that he looked just a little nervous.

As he was symbolically handed the coat in front of the press, the photographers urged him to hold out the coat so that the ‘many colours’ would be displayed. That, unfortunately, just had him grasping at random bits of material until finally turning to the wings and asking “how does the coat work?!”

As I blogged a couple of months ago, it was always going to be a tough sell.

Imagine This - the show which will forever be known as ‘the holocaust musical’ - opened at the New London Theatre last night and, judging from the overnight reviews, its prospects look bleak.