This year’s Eurovision Song Contest may now be behind us but Thursday night brings another opportunity to throw yourself into a world of fantastically awful Europop.
West End Eurovision is an annual event by TheatreMAD, one of the fund-raising arms of The Make a Difference Trust. The companies of various West End shows come together to compete for the coveted title of West End Eurovision winner, a crown currently held by the cast of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber.
Each participating show must produce a fully costumed performance of a past Eurovision Song Contest entry, which has not previously been performed in West End Eurovision. They must also create an accompanying video ident film (this year’s films can be viewed here) to introduce their performance – my personal favourite of this year’s entries is Wicked‘s Hunger Games inspired offering. The aim of all of this work? To win the votes of the audience, the competing entries’ judging panels and a board of celebrity judges made up of Russell Grant, Jodie Prenger, Lisa Riley and X Factor finalist Rylan Clark.
The night traditionally features a special guest appearance by a past original Eurovision Song Contest entrant – previous performances have included Scooch, Javine Hylton and The Original Bucks Fizz – and this year is no different. Katrina Leskanich of Katrina and the Waves, the UK’s last winning entry, will be closing the show.
The Make a Difference Trust is an excellent charity whose vision is to bring together the theatre community and its audiences to make a lasting difference to those affected by HIV/AIDS, as well as those experiencing hardship as a result of a chronic ill health. Having written my dissertation on HIV/AIDS literature, I feel that I probably have a better understanding of these conditions than the majority of people who have not been personally affected by them and I can not think of many more deserving causes. Each year several live events, West End Eurovision included, contribute to the charity’s incredible fund-raising efforts.
With the year winding down, West End Eurovision could be a perfect end-of-semester treat for you and your friends. Book now before the event sells out!
West End Eurovision will take place at The Dominion Theatre, London in aid of the MAD Trust on Thursday 23rd May 2013. The show begins at 11.30pm. Tickets can be bought through Ticketmaster or by calling The Dominion Theatre Box Office on 0844 847 2510.
*** Student Offer *** Quote ‘Euro Stud’ to get best available tickets for just £15.
