Just a day to go now until the BBC launches its latest assault on the West End casting process. As you’ll notice from the various images running on our website, we’ll be covering every episode of the show, starting with tomorrow’s first auditions.
I’ll be on hand to blog each episode, of course, and I expect that plenty of you will be joining me in the comments thread of each review, as happened with Any Dream Will Do last year. And as the series progresses into the live studio rounds, we’ll expand our coverage into our weekly paper. More on that as the time approaches.
In the meantime, the BBC has released some new information: not only on how the three Oliver Twists will be decided upon, but also they have just released ticket booking information. Read on for more…
Ticket applications
The first live show will be on Saturday 29 March, running weekly until the final on Saturday 31 May. Applications for tickets will open on Monday 17 March from 9am, and will remain open until 5pm on Thursday 20 March at 5pm.
Ticket allocations will be allocated via a random ballot system, to be drawn on Tuesday 5.
If you’re interested in going to the studio, you can only apply for one date (March 29, April 5, 12, 19, 26, May 3, 10, 17, 24 or 31) and for a maximum of four tickets per household.
To enter, you will be able to call 0870 901 1227 (8p/min from a BT line) or via the BBC Tickets website.
Choosing the Olivers
Unlike the Marias and Josephs, the prospective Olivers quite sensibly won’t be put up for the possibility of public eviction. Instead, they will be given a weekly musical task, with the studio panel (John Barrowman, Denise Van Outen, Barry Humphries and Andrew Lloyd Webber) selecting one boy each week to win a place in the semi-final. The Semi-final and final will then whittle the boys down to the three who will share the role when Oliver! opens at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane.
The role of Nancy will, as usual, face a public vote. The show notes all say that ppublic voting kicks off from programme three — but it’s not clear to me yet whether that means the third live show (which would be April 12) or the third show of the whole series (which would make it the first live show). Somehow, the latter sounds more plausible to me; I’ll bring clarification as soon as I get it.
As before, a proportion of the phone voting will go towards the BBC’s fund for promoting musical theatre training. This used to be known as the Fame Academy Musical Theatre Bursary, but from Monday will officially change its name to the BBC Performing Arts Fund.
I daresay that we’ll have additional coverage of I’d Do Anything in between each Saturday night episode, so do yourself a favour and bookmark our IDA page — or better yet, use TV Today’s RSS Feed to keep instantly informed of the latest from the whole blog!
Ooo Scott Dearl we will be glued to your reviews as usual! Am so glad the boys aren't going to have to go to public vote - it would be have been awful for them (and us watching).
Hi Scott dear,- are we warming up already? I'm going to be awkward and ask you when April 42nd is?( See Ticket applications, third pharagrahp!) I know, it's the demon Typo again, or maybe one of Geri's Smurf hexes!
I will be adding my comments after the show, because I'll be out tomorrow night, but I'll Sky+ it.
@Eva: Thanks -- that's now fixed.
Scott dear,- you are a fast worker!
Good evening Scott. Thank you for linking us across to these reviews. Really looking forward to IDA. Another member of the international jury reporting and getting ready to do its duty. And I will be on the internet registering for my ticket bright and early on Monday morning.
The Irish jury will be on hand to contribute, at least as much as possible, given our hosting responsibilities during the first week.
any idea on how to get tickets for the actual west end show?
I've moved actual reviews of the episode to the Episode 1 review page.