Review: The National Lottery’s BIG NIGHT OF MUSICALS, BBC One

Photo credit: BBC/TBI Media/Bellanova Photography

Presented by the loveliest man in showbiz, Jason Manford, The National Lottery’s Big Night of Musicals aired on BBC One last night (Saturday 25 March) and it was packed to the rafters with headline act after headline act.

A medley of numbers from thirteen of the hottest musicals around, Big Night of Musicals, recorded at Manchesters’s AO Arena last month, showcased the amazing talents of many wonderful cast and crew members, whilst highlighting the impact musical theatre can have on communities.

Opening up, we had the uptempo title track from We Will Rock You, kicking the show off in classic ‘clap clap stomp’ style; followed by the impressive young cast of RSC’s Matilda the Musical with a ‘Naughty/Revolting Children/When I Grow Up’ medley, displaying Tim Minchin’s clever lyrics and effortlessly demonstrating why the show has been running for over ten years.

Before we had time to reflect on this, Helen George of Call the Midwife fame joined Darren Lee to bring us The King and I classic ‘Shall We Dance’, before the tempo was ramped up with the iconic SIX who dazzled with their title track alongside the hilarious ‘House of Holbein’, showing us just how high energy and empowering the musical is.

Next up came the performance of the night, an incredibly powerful and moving version of the heartbreaking ‘On My Own’ from Les Miserables, spectacularly performed by the phenomenal Nathania Ong; before Shrek, along with Princess Fiona (Joanne Clifton) and the hilarious Brandon Lee Sears as Donkey, presented us with an uplifting version of ‘I’m a Believer’ ahead of their upcoming UK tour.

It was great to then go behind the scenes with the touring cast of Heathers the Musical, before a rousing performance of ‘King of New York’ from Disney’s Newsies, the musical based on a true story of newspaper sellers dreaming of a better life.

A stunningly powerful rendition of ‘I Will Always Love You’ by Melody Thornton from The Bodyguard was up next, with a great sax interlude, before we were treated to an arrangement of songs from the adept cast of the fairly new musical based on the story of the Temptations, Ain’t Too Proud.

Following that, a punchy ‘Defying Gravity’ was delivered by Laura Pick, rocking the green hue in her Elphaba get up for Wicked, which is about to go on tour in the UK. We were then served a huge treat, for the first time ever on UK TV, a captivating performance of ‘My Shot’ embodying the lyrical genius of Lin Manuel Miranda from Hamilton, also touring the UK later this year.

Musical royalty then paid homage to Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, culminating in West End legend Michael Ball belting out the classic ‘Love Changes Everything’ from Aspects of Love, in which he will soon be starring (again) for a limited time.

Finally, we were treated to the cast of Mamma Mia! wrapping things up with a ‘Mamma Mia!/Dancing Queen’ medley whilst donning some amazing 70s flared costumes.

A truly glittering 90-minutes packed with talent and pizzazz. Such a great way to sample a new musical, or to simply rewatch your favourite.

Don’t worry if you missed it though, Besties, it’s available now on iPlayer, or you can catch up with theatre stars Samantha Barks and Layton Williams, who are hosting a two-hour Big Night of Musicals show on BBC Radio 2 from 8pm on 26 March, featuring interviews and additional songs recorded on the night.

Great work Jase and co, same time next year?

A must for all musicals fans.

***** Five stars

Reviewed by: Cara Brazier