Theatre Meets Telly

The Olivier awards were screened on Sunday 3rd April following the ceremony at the Royal Opera House - ITV showed the highlights of a glitzy show featuring stars of the stage, many of whom are also stars of the screen, to boot! ITV3 in a stroke of genius, went on to screen the full unabridged show on Monday 4th April, much to the school-girl style squealing delight of this luvvie, aka yours truly!

What are the five bonuses of being able to share in the evening of some of our best triple threats?

1. The chance to see the likes of Imelda Staunton (I refrained from inserting ‘Dame’ in front of her name, but she should be one!) strutting her stuff and demonstrating that she is so much more than a bonnet-wearing spinster in Cranford. Staunton has shown the world what a multi-talented actress she is by taking on the role of Mamma Rose in Gypsy last year.

2. Clips of the nominated musicals are shown, if a trip to a west end show evades you due to cost or logistics, here’s a showcase to end all showcases! In the comfort of your own home too!

3. The chance to hold your own awards party, get your friends and family over and dress up to the nines as you turn your attention to the TV and raise a glass to worthy winners. Also take a look at the bad loser faces that are always associated with these occasions… unlucky!

4. In the absence of a variety show (although the London Palladium variety show will be revived very, very soon) it makes a change to see some razzmatazz on the box.

5. An opportunity to see the best of what the west end has offer without having to pay an over the top price for tickets, or being stung for the cost of a programme or other merchandise, you can pause and put the kettle on whenever you choose AND no queues for the loo!

Theatre and telly are the perfect combination!