The on-location talent show on ITV to find a new Sophie and Sky for the 25th-anniversary production of that long-running West End musical – it premiered in 1999 – suddenly got deadly serious.
Just eight of the original 14 young wannabes survive after the three judges – Frozen star Samantha Barks was on leave – decided the great voice of 20-year-old Leah Rutherford was not enough for her to make it and Zachkiel Smith, 21, didn’t sing as well as the other male contestants for the role of Sky and needed to show a bigger on-stage presence, said judge Amber Riley.
We had the first pairs week the previous Sunday to assess who could show the right chemistry for the parts of young lovers Sophie and Sky, due to be married the following day. Sophie is the loved-up daughter of popular local hotelier Donna and Sky is on the island to build a website for the hotel. Sophie wants to be given away by her father but has never met him. So she sneakily invites the three men she had worked out from her mother’s diaries might be the guy who had put her mum in the family way.
The pairs format of the previous week was retained but with a difference, the judges mixed them up to get a better idea of their versatility – who worked well together vocally and on the dance floor. It was a bit like Musical Chairs.
The show isn’t live until the grand final at the Novello Theatre (where Mamma Mia! is currently in situ). D-Day is 10 December and 4pm the witching hour for the four (two of each) still standing. We’re down to the last eight. Four will be eliminated via judges’ vote in the next two sessions, on 26 November and 3 December, but the public will choose the winners.
I think I already have one winner sussed out in chirpy Glasgow lass Stevie Doc but the new Sky is harder to call, very close between another Scot, Craig Watson – one judge said: “he’s moving to the top of the pack” – and lanky Tobias Turley from Somerset, massively impressive alongside livewire Stevie in a dazzling Bob Fosse-inspired ‘All That Jazz’ from Chicago. Those two could be Novello-bound though Belfast’s Owen Johnston must also come into the conversation.
Desmonda Cathabel, already well into her showbiz career and 2022 Sondheim Society Student Performer of the Year, would have been my second choice for a final spot but the judges threw a spanner in the works by lumping her with Leah in the bottom two even though she was the strongest competitor vocally.
After she had charmingly performed ‘You Are the Reason’ with Zachkiel, Desmonda admitted “dancing is not my forte” and “I’ve never done ballroom in my life”. Maybe honesty is not always the best policy in auditions because it was a shock to see her so close to the exit with the competition only half over. But she deservedly lives to fight another day, as does Marcellus Whyte who was in the bottom two among the Skys.
Both would have been encouraged by Esme Bowdler, who was nearly sent over in the previous week, but made further progress after her reprieve. Having the ultra-reliable Craig as her partner in ‘True Colours’, a big hit for Cyndi Lauper back in the day, would have been a great boost to her confidence. Esme’s dancing – another to admit “it’s not my strongest asset” – just about held up but how many would she get from Craig Revel Horwood if he’d been on the panel?
If Desmonda is really hanging on by her fingertips then it will probably be Stephanie Costi who accompanies Stevie to the Novello to fight it out for this sizeable part. Stephanie teamed up delightfully with Owen – the pair had earlier had some coaching from singer-songwriter Jessie Ware about how to create emotions – and it showed in ‘Made You Look’, Amber Riley commenting: “At last you look like you are having fun.”
Powerful singer Leah teamed up with Marcellus for the Bee Gees classic ‘Night Fever’ but was unable to persuade the judges to take a chance on her as a ‘Dancing Queen’ but I Have A Dream has been a great shop window for her and other early casualties who have much to offer elsewhere.
With famed choreographer Anthony Van Laast telling everybody “you all need to be triple threats”, this is far more just than a singing contest and one or two need to shape up in the acting and dance areas next week. That’s ‘The Name of the Game’ and no doubt they will all soon be pleading ‘Don’t Shut Me Down’. Can’t wait!
Jeremy Chapman
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