By Aashiq
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkxwINEu7_g
Available until: How am I meant to know?
The singing in this show is obviously great. I mean, Aisha
Jawando and Mazz Murray. OBVIOUSLY it’s going to be good.
But one thing I liked about this episode is how positive it
is. I completely hear all the people who are having a tough time in lockdown.
Of course you are. It’s horrible. It’s scary. And… what if we Thespians end up
having to get a REAL job? There are so many terrifying things going on and we
don’t know when it’s going to be good again. Every time it looks like things
might be getting better, it all goes to you-know-what again. I say it’s a
DISASTER and no-one tells me I’m exaggerating. Everyone always tells me I’m
exaggerating. Until now.
But it’s inspiring to see creatives taking the positives from the situation. Aisha Jawando created the role of Aline Bullock in the West End production of Tina the Musical and now (well, not right now, but SOON) she’s playing the lady herself. Aisha sang two songs from Tina and totally slayed it. Amazing voice, amazing personality, amazing hair. She used lockdown as an opportunity to rest and then get back right on it vocally, physically, mentally. (Have I ever been on anything mentally? Actually, let’s not go there.)
Mazz Murray is lovely to everyone and she’s happy and she’s
taking advantage of the chance to enjoy spending time with her husband and kids
which is just really nice to hear. She’s also got some advice for auditions –
enjoy it. It’s quite an alien concept for me. Enjoy an audition? I can’t
even imagine they’re all in their underwear because some of the guys I’ve
auditioned for have been really cute and I just do not need that kind of
distraction in my head. But… Mazz has a point. I don’t suppose I’ll be able to
take her advice, but an audition is a chance to SHOW OFF and I love showing
off. So, theoretically, auditions should be fun. Maybe. I’m not sure about that
one. But it’s something to think about.
Mazz is (should be) playing Donna in Mamma Mia.
Apparently, someone told her she just wasn’t a Donna (I was going to say
‘some idiot’, but there’s a chance it was said by someone I might need
to be nice to), but… everyone makes really big mistakes sometimes. Mazz is a
fabulous Donna and she totally shows it in three contrasting songs from the
show, showing us different sides of Donna and different sides of her talent.
I’m not even a really big fan of Mamma Mia (though I would totally
play Tanya… and here’s the cue for everyone to tell me I’m just not a Tanya!),
but I love Mazz in this role.
Ben Goddard is on the piano, which he can play whilst
dancing and not looking at the piano or the music. I mean, I can do that too,
but he actually plays the right notes. He also performed One Night with You by
Elvis Presley. And he, apparently, is an example of an unskilled worker. (What
is unskilled, anyway? I have tremendous admiration for anyone who works with
toilets and other people’s rubbish. Can you imagine anything less glamorous? It
must be horrific, but we couldn’t manage without these people.)
And Laast but not least, can I just say the presenter,
choreographer Anthony Van Laast, is brilliant? He’s one of this new type of
presenters who actually listens to what his guests say and seems
genuinely sympathetic. I would encourage the BBC to sign him up, but I’d really
rather he kept on doing this job…
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