If I’d Do Anything were Sesame Street, this week’s show would have been brought to you by the numbers 6 and 1/2.
Six Nancies remain, half of the original finalists; Six Olivers have already been put through to the semi-finals, leaving six boys’ fate in the competition undecided; half of the remaining Nancies have previously been saved by Andrew after the sing-off (a fate which, remember, neither Connie Fisher nor Lee Mead experienced). Half of the remaining crop of actresses are Irish, too — although only one of those attracts comments about her accent when acting or singing…
Update: Our usual collection of the BBC’s YouTube clips is online now. Still no sing-off video available, but this week the clips also include the judges’ comments.
Opening the show with another rendition of It’s a Fine Life, we then went into a VT of the girls talking about which of their competitors isn’t right for the role. This seems to be a fairly standard tactic in these shows, trying to up the stakes by pitting actor directly against actor, but until now it’s one that I’d Do Anything has kept in abeyance far more than Maria? or Any Dream Will Do ever did. Hopefully, the girls are all savvy enough to realise how artificial this section is. However, without going into the interpersonal disputes the producers seemed to want us to believe, it’s better to take a step back and look at the reasons each actress gave for their choice. The actresses who fit the more traditional casting of Nancy (professional actresses Ashley and Rachel, and singer Jodie) all selected one of the younger girls. I’d suggest that’s more to do with their view of the role rather than their view of their fellow competitors.
But on to the solo performances, and this week the girls were asked to sing songs that brought out different aspects of Nancy’s character.
First up, Jessie was to show Nancy’s defiant side, with Christina Aguilera’s Fighter. Frankly, it was a horrible song choice that any of the girls would have struggled with had they been allocated it. After last week’s amazing performance, unfortunately Jessie was unable to cope well with this number: her breathing was all over the place, and her diction was not great (although Christina’s wasn’t much better in the original, to be honest). The judges picked up on how Jessie’s Irish accent started to seep through by the end of the song (John noted that she sang “a little bit ticker”, rather than “…thicker”). There was a bit of a debate between the judges then about whether Nancy could have been Irish: there were certainly a substantial number of Irish immigrants in London in the 1830s, but Nancy is supposed to have been under Fagin’s care since she was a young girl, and it’s unlikely in that scenario that she would have retained a thick Irish brogue into her adult life. That aside, my main concern with Jessie is not that she sings with an Irish accent, but that her delivery was inconsistent, with her own accent creeping in to the song by the end. If she had used the same accent throughout, whatever it was, it would have been less of a worry.
Niamh was next, singing Cyndi Lauper’s True Colours, supposedly to show Nancy’s maternal side. She exhibited the same problem with her lower register here as she did with last week’s They Can’t Take That Away From Me. Like that song, this week’s number has a verse that goes far lower than the chorus. Several of those lower notes were not even attempted, effectively reduced to a whisper. That said, the range in the song is enormous, and it would be a similar challenge to most singers. Once she got into the chorus, Niamh was much more at ease, despite a couple of sharp notes. There’s a quality to her voice which really appeals to me. As Andrew said, it’s a voice that’s still maturing, so it’s going to be very interesting to see how this seventeen-year-old develops, whether or not the stage at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane is to be the first stop on her ongoing career.
Third to sing is Ashley, who had to show a kind and tender side. Her VT package showed her briefly returning to her local Stagecocach Theatre Arts franchise, where she has been a singing and drama teacher. The respect and adnmiration her young charges had for her was obvious, and she should be lauded for that if nothing else. Her solo performance was the Burt Bacharach song Say a Little Prayer. And where Jessie’s accent came through only at the end of her song, there were tinges of Ashley’s Scottish accent throughout, but it was much easier to cope with because it was consistent throughout. Unfortunately, so was the wagging of the head, which to me came across as a slightly undisciplined performance. The judges noted that her vocal quality is much better than her stage performance suggests. Andrew seemed to have lost all patience with her, after weeks of struggling to connect with her performance.
Halfway through the show, and we have another Oliver diversion. This week, they had to recreate the pivotal “I want some more” moment from Oliver!, with the help of former child actor Todd Carty. With just two slots in the semi-final left, Cameron decided this week to finally put Laurence through. I’m so glad about that, as he’s always seemed to be one of the more comfortable of the boys on stage. The group performance, Paul Williams’ You Give a little Love from Bugsy Malone, really showed which boys are struggling with the choreography each week, although the whole routine was’t up to the standards of previous weeks.
Back to the solo performances, and Samantha had to show Nancy’s feistiness and survival instinct with, um, Survivor from Destiny’s Child. Like the song Jessie was given, the verses are packed with lots of words and little melody. Unlike Jessie, every word was perfectly clear. It was a strong performance all round. My only reservation is that, due to the nature of the song, the backing singers were very high up in the mix during the chorus, meaning that Sam’s voice was less clear to the audience than it could have been.
Jodie had to show Nancy’s heart and passion with Alicia Keys’ If I Ain’t Got You. It was a strong, gutsy performance that did also convey the emotional quality she was tasked with delivering. When you look at Jodie as she sings, you can’t help but believe every word, which is soemthing that Denise picked up on in her comments. Andrew, however, said that she needed to dial back her performance for television. Now, that’s a comment that the panel could have given, but didn’t, to Rachel in previous weeks. Here, I think it was mostly unwarranted — if there is anything in it at all, I’d say that Jodie started a little too overwrought in her acting performance, which left her with nowhere to go other than bigger. If she’d dialled back the performance at the start of the song, I’m not sure Andrew would have made the same comment.
The final solo performance was Rachel with You’ve Got a Friend, to show Nancy’s soft and gentle side. For the life of me, I can’t see why they don’t pick her up for her aptitude for over-egging her performance in the same way Andrew did for Jodie. As in previous weeks, she gives a performance which would work well on a theatre stage — the sort of performance, we should remember, she is trained to give — but which looks out of scale on the small screen (her backchat to the judges indicate that she’s aware of this, thankfully — now she just needs to improve on it). Her vocal was perfectly fine, indeed it’s very strong technically, but there seems to be very little character to her voice, particularly compared to some of her competitors. Barry’s comment that she is more of an understudy was unduly harsh, I thought, but Andrew’s comment that she didn’t connect with the lyric is one I could agree with.
Now that we’re down to six actresses, we see the welcome introduction of the group numbers. This week, the girls were split into the three youngest girls — Jessie, Niamh and Samantha — and the three elder girls, Jodie, Ashley and Rachel. The younger girls’ number, Christina Aguilera’s WW2 pastiche Candyman, dictated the style of the performance, with tight vocal harmonies and some demanding choreography inspired by the dances of the era. The jitterbug-style dances demand a lot of work with the arms, and Niamh was much stronger than the other two in that regard. At times, Sam’s arms were quite floppy when they should have been tight and angular.
The second group performance was a rendition of Shania Twain’s Man, I Feel Like A Woman. Vocally, it was a great performance. Choreographically, it should have gone some way to allaying Andrew’s fears about whether Jodie can cope with a lot of movement in her routine. I do think it highlighted that Ashley’s movement is less pleasant to watch than either Rachel’s or Jessie’s.
The results show saw this week’s pre-recorded acting task from the girls, in two locations with connections to The Stage. The initial introduction to the stunt challenge took place at London Bridge, just round the corner from our offices — although not, as John claimed, on “Nancy’s steps”. Firstly, she’s a fictional character, and secondly the current bridge was built in the 1960s. Still, the class soon moved on into a stunt-laden acting workshop, which took place in the bar of the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. The theatre will be host to Oliver! from December, but every year the room they use is the site of The Stage’s annual New Year party for members of the performing arts industry. And while the party can be a lively affair, it’s never involved bottles crashing over people’s heads. Yet… Out of the acting task, Niamh came off best, I thought, able to both recover from a mistake in missing with the bottle and also convince a sceptical John that she is able to convey an aggressive side.
The related group number was The Spy Who Loved Me, with a strong performance from all six. My eye was drawn especially to Niamh and Samantha, but that’s more down to them being positioned centrally on stage. A short VT promoted the BBC Performing Arts Fund (known until earlier this year as the Fame Academy Musical Theatre Bursary). Musical theatre training is very expensive and I think the fund does a great job in helping students who may not otherwise be able to afford it to pursue training. (Incidentally, our recent issue dedicated to musical theatre training is still available from our back issues department — ring 020 7403 1818 to order a copy).
As with last week, the Olivers chose a Nancy to perform a group number with them. They chose Niamh to perform Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and it proved to be a good choice for her, as it showed that despite her youth, she can portray an authoritative and maternal figure in their company. The real star of the performance, though, was Laurence. That’s partly because he delivered the only solo performance, unlike previous group numbers where the lines have been chivvied up between all the boys, but it’s mainly because he gave a barnstorming performance that deserves to guarantee him a musical theatre career even if he doesn’t get the Oliver! gig.
Unfortunately, for the second week in a row the Olivers’ chosen Nancy was in the sing-off, with Ashley joining Niamh in a rendition of Don’t Cry For Me Argentina. The solemnity of the number, combined with the lack of choreography, helped both girls to deliver a briliant performance. However, after all of his comments this weekend, it was no surprise that Andrew saved Niamh, meaning Ashley left the competition.
Hard as I’ve been on Ashley in the past few weeks, I do wish her every success in whatever she does in the future. If she goes back to teaching at Stagecoach, she’ll clearly inspire a new generation of performers. And if she decides to pursue a career in the West End, she can take comfort that, at this point in last year’s competition, Daniel Boys got knocked out. A year later, he’s the lead in Avenue Q, a musical that’s much better suited to him than Joseph would have been. So even if you don’t make the final, it’s clearly not the end of the road career-wise if you don’t want it to be.
I thought this weeks performances were very below par, the song choices were awful! we are supposed to be choosing the next Nancy not the next Beyonce or Christina. I found myself missing Sarah's presence greatly... at least we would have been guaranteed of one decent vocal if she'd been there. Jodie was the best of a bad bunch while Jessie was probably the worst with an awful song choice (although Sam and Niamh weren't much better).
The highlight of the show this week was the Olivers and in particular little Laurence! Wasn't he fantastic in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang? He completely showed up Niamh vocally IMO.
Niamh vs Ashley: I wasn't particularly bothered about either way- although I personally would have saved Ashley because she's better suited to Nancy, and I felt she was better than Niamh in the sing off too. Ash's ALAHNM was a revelation! We could have seen more performances like that if they actually bothered to use musical theatre songs ;)
I thought this weeks show really showed up some of the Nancy's. Some were clearly out of there comfort zones (most obviously Jessie & Rachel). However, Samantha once again showed her leading lady potential, with a fantastic performance of Survivor! Have you ever tried singing that on Singstar?! It's so difficult and she was just amazing! For me once again SAMANTHA is the true star of the show x
This girl singer ive just came across sounds like she should be on the show.
http://www.xfactorchallenge.co.uk/actions/showUserProfile.do?uid=1136#recs
Does anyone else agree.
Scott - I completely agree with all that you've said. It must be something about the person finishing sixth that gets the most ridiculous comments out of ALW - this year to Ashley (re running for the bus) and last year to Daniel (I don't think an audience would want to watch you for 2 hours)!!
Sam caught my eye for the first time this week and it was only she, along with Jodie, that I was remotely impressed with.
I missed Sarah.
Ashley did so NOT deserve to go this week and from the look on Andrew Lloyd Webber's face during her farewell song, he realised it too.
Why did he keep in Niamh when he has already said more than once that she is not ready for the part (due to her voice lacking maturity) whereas at least, any problems Ashley might have can be worked on?
Great review Scott.
Hearing both Niamh and Ashley singing Don't Cry for me Argentina was a revelation - Ashley was wonderful her voice warm rich and vibrant and she acted and sang the immature squeaky shouty Niamh off the stage. ALW had painted himself into a corner with his comments on Ashley over the last couple of weeks as she shoed quite clearly that she COULD have been Nancy where Niamh showed us beyond a doubt that she CAN't be (well at least not yet!
Let's hope we see Asley doing a Daniel and on be on the West End stage soon!
Dreadful song choices this week.
Curse of the Olivers - next week the girls pitch will be "Don't choose me".
"Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" was fun but surely "Truly Scrumptious" is better fitted to adult + children.
Interesting the Irish comments re Jessie. Does that mean that if she got it, they'd stick to her natural accent rather than try & force her into cockey which she just can't do ? It would be better. They need to get her to work with someone from Ireland who's lived in London since being a child to get an authentic mix.
Was the fact that Rachel was "you could be in the singoff" reflect her voting. Interesting that she got her first real criticsm from Andrew this week - about not connecting. Has he been reading this blog - everyone here's been saying that for weeks.
Glad that Ashley went - always found her voice very harsh and her movements awkward but I admire her fighting spirit & she did her farewell song very well.
Would like to see Rachel go next week but still don't know who I want to win.
The song choices for this week were awful and I think all the girls struggled one way or another. Especially Jessie and Samantha – both were given songs which did nothing to promote their talent or help us picture them as Nancy at all. And I disagreed with BH about how Nancy “could” have been Irish. She is the original East End “tart with a heart”! Or are they re-writing the character completely for this production?! If they can’t sing and speak with a totally convincing and consistent Cockney accent then they aren’t right for Nancy. I do like Jessie, but she’s so young, she does struggle with the accent and there is something so untamed about her. I’m not sure she’s ready yet.
Niamh seemed to have lost her nerve and was very squeaky last night – especially during “Chitty” with the Olivers. She seemed well out of her comfort zone and I didn’t feel any motherly warmth come across at all. She didn’t make enough effort to connect with the boys and her voice didn’t even stand out from theirs.
But I do agree that Ashley should have been out not Niamh – although if we look at the sing-off alone it was definitely Ashley who did better. If only she’d performed like that consistently. But there is something harsh about her performance style which I couldn't warm to and I wouldn’t pay to see her in the West End. She’s also the one Nancy who seems to have progressed least as the weeks have gone by, in my opinion, whereas I think Niamh still has more to show us.
At least we had the right pair in the sing-off this time. I really missed Sarah - she was robbed last week . None of the other girls, except maybe Jodie, have the warmth and depth to their voice that she has.
Another good summary and opinion on the show Scott :)
Some of the song choices this week gave no indication of the actresses ability to excel as Nancy. Jessie was not good at all - she was saved by her excellent performance last week, with ALW excusing her rendition on the song ths week, though I thought Sam could have done it more justice. I agree though that they shouldn't be ruled out purely on inability to deal with rock/pop songs.
Again a surprising mixture of flattering and unflattering dresses - Sam seems to do well in getting costumes that show off her figure. When the trios came on it was apparent that Jodie has less shapely legs than Ashley or Rachel, though I agree that she gave one of the stronger performances in this number. I hope we see more choreography. There is only so much walking across the stage and waving arms that I want to see.
Also I'd like to see more acting - the stage fight workshop we had to rely mostly on JB's opinion of who did well, with again just snippets to form our own opinions. Of course this also was only shown the night *after* we'd voted, so we'd need to carry it over (if we'd seen enough to sway our opinions) to affect our voting next week.
Not a great show this week, most of them were left struggling but one good thing came out of it, I saw real potential in Sam.
First off from that ridiculous song that she was given, the amount of lyrics she managed to fit in and make clear was something that showed of Jessie's real weakness and her strength.
Then again she really shown out in the trio performances, she's clearly a strong dancer and her vocals were also very strong even with the dancing that was involved. Then in the results show she was the stand out along with Rachel in the group performance. Her movement always seems very natural.
I was supporting Jodie at the beginning of the show but by the end of it i've decided Sam is my Nancy.
Poor Jessie really struggled this week and I feel she would be out of her depth if she won the role of Nancy. Samantha has really grown on me and she moves well too, although both her and Niamh are 17 she comes across as older.
I still really like Niamh but I don't think she is quite ready for a leading role, however I think she has a great future ahead of her. Jodie was very good, as I've come to expect. I didn't like Ashley's performance at all, and it is not the vocals but the movements, very ungainly and lots of head shaking, but ALW was too harsh on her. And finally Rachel, still think her performances are OTT and I'm sorry but she's not my idea of Nancy. I would have put Rachel and Ashley in the sing-off with Ashley leaving.
Ashley sang ALAHNM very well when she was obviously emotional, pity she hadn't sung like that a bit more!
After Sarah was (unfairly) voted off last week I didn't think I'd care who got the role, but it could still be any of them, I'd put my money on either Jodie or Sam though. Glad Laurence finally got through, hope Jonny does next week.
This weeks show certainly wasn't one of the better ones... I thought Jessie was given the wrong song but still did quite well considering! I am a huge Christina Aguilera fan and I still don't know all the words to that song as I can't work them out!!
For the first time ever, I really like Sam. I am normally not a fan but I thought she did really well this week. Jodie was great but she does seem to stick to similar song styles each week...
I am not a fan of Rachel - I think she has a good voice and is clearly talented but I just don't get it...
I thought Ashely was right to go this week. Rachel to go next week for me. And Jessie to win :) I love her!
What is happening with the Olivers after next week? The ones that don't make it through - will that be it for them? As is wont be on the show anymore? I am hoping Sam gets put through!! He's brill!
Looking forward to next week, gutted I am in Spain for the final (and was in prague for the final off ADWD... I only go away once a year as well! oops)
A dissapointing show!!!
The songs choices were awful! I don't think any of them sang a proper musical theatre song!
Saturday show
Group song at start, no one stood out for good or bad reasons, they all could be Nancy from that.
Jessie-Bit screechy at beginning, maybe that is the song. Certainly came over as aggressive, appropriate for a fighter. She was so good last week.
Niamh-Very sweet. She said she wanted to appear motherly, not in that dress.
Ashley-I can take it or leave it, no negative or positive comments. I was not excited into reviewing this performance.
Samantha-Very thin voice in this song. The speed of the words in the song was difficult for her. I did not like it. And what was she wearing?
Jodie-Very controlled. I hate the song, but I think she delivered it well. Good dress. She has been the most consistant.
Rachel-Sorry girl, I’ve heard a much much better version of that song this week. Yours just does not compare.
Jessie, Niamh and Samantha-Niamh was the best mover, Jessie did not look comfortable with the moves. They all gave a good vocal performance.
Rachel, Ashley and Jodie-Rachel and Jodie good dancing. Ashley get a better bra, it wasn’t your arms flapping this week. Loved the song. My favourite trio.
Best solo song for me Jodie then Jessie.
Results show
Still can’t pick one from the group songs.
Niamh did well with the Olivers, except she looked like their big sister, not their mother. (Oh dear, I disagree with ALW).
Niamh and Ashley are in the bottom two. I agree, they are not Nancy. Niamh seems a bit off key in the sing off. Ashley is flapping her arms again, so annoying. Who to save? I don’t care. ALW saves Niamh no suprise there.
A running comment from these live shows has been the very dodgy wardrobe choices. Last week thought we'd got a marked improvement, this week seems to have relapsed.
Hi Tom.
On the whole agree with most of the comments this week. Was glad Ashley went although she did a fairly good job on the last song I really haven't seen her as Nancy. (You'd never have guessed would you!)
Jodie so far has been the most consistent performer, I do like her voice, best of the week for me by some distance. Jessie, well terrible song for her, and another terrible dress! For me though worst dress of the week had to be Sams. I honestly thought a standard lamp had wondered on stage. Took me a good half her song to stop staring at it in disbelief! I can see she is good but not sure about her at all.
Then there is my other big problem, Rachel. As I have said before I can see she has talent, but at least ALW said what has been said here for weeks, she just doesn't connect. Big problem, as you really have to empathise with Nancy.
Right two in the sing off, Actually one thing I don't agree with you Scott, Niamhs' arms annoy me! they seem to just stick out at an angle, not the end of the world though.
I haven't got much to add, I thought the right 2 in sing-off and I'm glad Ashley went - ALW has offered her something anyway so she's done alright out of it. Jessie was disappointing, horried song and dress but it was always going to be difficult to top last weeks amazing performance. I would prefer Nancy to have an East End accent so I hope she can get to grips with it - I'm sticking with her. As I've said before Rachel does nothing for me, neither does Niamh or Sam as far as the part of Nancy goes. Jodie has personality but I think she is not vulnerable enough but she is my second choice by default really.
I thought this week no-one stood out in the solos. The trios showed how much more professional the three slightly older singers are. The younger ones are talented but clearly have an awful lot to learn. I am also concerned that 3 drama schools turned Jessie down. Why, if she is so fantastic?
Just want to add some info about Nancy. In the book, shortly after she first appears we are told that she joined Fagin's Gang at the age of 6. Several chapters later she says she has been in The same Business for 12 years.
This does not suggest that she has been with Fagin for 12 years and it is fairly clear from studying Dickens that she is a prostitute. Therefore, she is saying she has been a prostitute for 12 years. Since there were child prostitutes at this time she could have started at around 9 or 10 years of age {not 6}.
Hence she is around 21-22 years of age. In any case, if you add 6 and 12 you get 18 not or 17. She would have looked older too. She is also described as Stout and Hearty looking and not quite pretty.
This is the book version. In the stage version Nancy has always been played as late 20's at the youngest. She is also a cockney.
Still like Jodie's voice the best - for me it is the only one with any individuality. I think she acts and performs every song well. I was more impressed by Samantha than previously and think she has a good chance. The right person went but like Barrie Humphries, I wish they chose more melodic songs. The costumes were awful this week. How much better the lads looked last year in their jeans and t-shirts!
I think all the Nancies in IDA do particularly well-to be fair. I think they all do their best and put as much effort into it as they can. Though I have to be honest and say that Sam,Jessie and Jodie particulary stand out. I still like Niamh and Rachel-in fact-it's a pitty they've been in the sing-offs a lot in the last few weeks.They are very tallented and gifted as well.Still,I miss Sarah and Ashley who were both out last week and the week before.
so glad jonny got in :D
yay
xxxxxx