Casts of Mary Poppins, The Phantom of the Opera and Les Misérables take to the stage of Britain’s Got Talent for ‘One Show More’
On the one hand, it’s fantastic to see musical theatre getting such a big showcase on one of TV’s biggest tentpoles. And the announcement of the return of Les Misérables – The Staged Concert for a six-week limited run, this time at the Sondheim Theatre, feels significant for the West End.
But on the other, it’s not quite that simple. Omitting the other major CamMac show Hamilton is puzzling at best, troubling at worst whether considering the state of musical theatre or representation in musical theatre at large. And Mackintosh’s manoeuvring of himself into the position of would-be saviour is, quite frankly, shocking, given the reports of his company’s behaviour over the last seven months.
So yeah, tentatively good news, not least for the employment opportunities it offers. But that doesn’t mean we should stop asking questions and keeping those who would consider themselves gatekeepers accountable.
