It might be almost 100 years old, but the Royal Variety Performance is still a hot ticket at Christmas. Lisa Williams finds out how this year’s line up of stars are feeling about the big night Published: 16/12/2010
Michael McIntyre will be hosting the show
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WHEN you are a comedian used to performing in the back room of a spit and sawdust pub, it must be a dream come true to take centre stage at London’s swish Palladium Theatre.
That’s how Sarah Millican feels after landing a spot at this year’s Royal Variety Performance.
The stand-up comedian from South Shields was a virtually unknown audio book producer before she won the Best Newcomer award at the Edinburgh Festival two years ago.
Since then, she’s been catapulted into the spotlight, with spots on 8 Out Of 10 Cats and Mock The Week, and two sell-out tours. Now royal approval beckons, she can’t believe her luck.
“I’m so excited to be part of the Royal Variety Performance,” said the 35-year-old, who has invited several members of her family to join her on the night. “To be able to bring those who have supported my daft job for years to the Palladium, feels like a career milestone. I’m preparing for a very churny belly on the day.
“Four of my family are making the trip down and my mam is buying a new outfit to ‘meet the Queen in’. I’m not sure if she’s realised it’s not the Queen and even if it was, she doesn’t shake the hands of the whole audience.”
This year, it’s the turn of Prince Charles to attend the event.
Millican is also looking forward to meeting her fellow performers Take That: “I’m a massive fan and actually squealed when I heard they were on.”
But she admitted nerves are getting the better of her. “The performance is nerve-wracking. As soon as it’s over, I’ll then get nervous about the meet and greet. Then I’ll get nervous about the after-show party. Then I’ll get nervous about missing our train the next day,” she said.
And it’s not just Millican, a relative newcomer to the game, who’s looking forward to performing in front of the Royal Family in the annual show, which has been running since 1912.
Seasoned stand-up Michael McIntyre, known for his work on Live At The Apollo and Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow, is “unbelievably excited” to be hosting the show in its centenary year.
He said, jokingly: “It’s a dream come true to be introducing the likes of Take That, Cheryl Cole and Prince Charles’s own personal booking, N-Dubz.”
Comedian Jack Whitehall also can’t wait for the night, not least because it means he can make up for a missed opportunity.
He explained: “Prince Charles came to my school once when I was 16, but there wasn’t time to tell him any jokes. Now I have the opportunity to. Maybe it’s fate.”
While putting on a good show at the Royal Variety Performance can help draw attention to a comedian, musical, band or artist, comic Micky Flanagan’s got a back-up plan if he goes down like a lead balloon.
“If things don’t work out with the comedy, I might have a word with Charles to see if I can get the contract for doing the windows at the palace,” he suggested.
For tenor Russell Watson, having his name on the bill means a great deal, mainly because he’s battled a brain tumour since 2001, when he was last on the show.
He said: “What a real thrill to have been invited for the second time to perform at the most prestigious showbiz event of the year. As an entertainer, there are few greater moments than a performance on the Royal Variety.
“After my health problems of the last few years, it’s an even more poignant and significant career moment for me.”
Singer Rumer will be taking to the stage with jazz man Jamie Cullum, and she said it’s the royal approval which makes the night so special: “As any performer knows, it’s the greatest honour to be asked to perform in front of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall,” she said.
Other acts confirmed for the night include Cheryl Cole, Kylie, Susan Boyle and Kinks singer Ray Davies.
But it’s acrobatic act Spelbound who hold the highest hopes for the night. As winners of this year’s Britain’s Got Talent, they competed against thousands of other acts to earn their place on the stage.
The group said: “We’ve had many honours bestowed on us since June, but this really is the biggest and best. What a way to end an unbelievable year.”
They’re working on something “even more spectacular” than their O Fortuna act which sealed their victory earlier this year: “We’re creating a unique, one-off routine for the show which almost certainly will never be performed again due to the complexity of the staging.”
The Royal Family doesn’t need much more cheering up after the news of Prince William’s engagement to Kate Middleton — with the exception of Charles and Camilla’s car being attacked on the way to the show last week, but this is bound to be the icing on the cake.
The Royal Variety Performance is on BBC1 tonight, Thursday, December 16, at 8pm.
MEMORABLE ACTS AT THE ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE
The Beatles performed on the show in 1963, when John Lennon made a statement which has since passed into legend. Making reference to the royal connection he said: “For our last number I’d like to ask your help. Will the people in the cheaper seats clap your hands? And the rest of you, if you’ll just rattle your jewellery.”
Cilla Black lit up the stage in 2001, singing You’ve Got To Have A Gimmick from the musical Gypsy, and baring almost all in a skimpy leotard adorned with fairy lights.
Stephen K Amos took to the stage in 2007, cracking a joke about how he’d like a show on TV, but the BBC’s diversity policy meant Lenny Henry would have to die before he was given one.
Eccentric pop star Lady Gaga wore a full-length red latex dress with a 20ft train to perform for the Queen in 2009. As if that wasn’t crazy enough, she was suspended 30ft into the air, as was the grand piano she played.
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обалденное выступление!!!