Cherio But Be Back Soon

I was watching The BBC's Oliver / Nancy find a new 'star' blah blah blah today Kwayedze, the token black kid, has been told he has made it through to the next round. I'm quite pleased about him as neglecting skin colour and politics, his voice is rich and beautiful.......But there is a problem with this damn show, it is not fulfilling it's criteria.

For one, didn't 'The Lord' say he wanted an Amy Whinehouse-esque rough around the edges singer to portray Nancy? So why are the majority of them professional performers with subtle namby pamby gentile voices - OK that last bit is not true but the first bit is. And I would expect the real Nancy to sound like she gargles with razors at least twice weekly. These girls wouldn't know how to gargle with a mouthwash!

The girls sang a selection of songs from female stars who had appeared on stage....at least I think that was what Graham said? Maybe he said something else and I misheard him....Maybe it was "Leading Ladies"? Because Jodie started the show off with a good rendition of the Dolly Parton classic 9 to 5. There are better Dolly Parton songs as shown on American Idol last week and Jodie has a much better voice as she showed herself last week. I have a soft spot for Jodie as she's working the clubs and not a true luvie in theatreland treading the boards. Then again, we want to be entertained and actors/musicians train for years to get to where they need to be and it is in some ways bloody unfair to take away a main role in a show from a person who has worked they're way up to the top.

So not sure how I feel about those girlies.....Can't stand Francesca whatever the case and it is not just because Denise VO is distancing herself and pretending "We're only acquaintances honest gov". Yeah right....I just don't like her voice, it grates.

My biggest beef is about the boys. Oliver Twist, that great Charles Dickens classic, was written about a poor orphan workhouse boy who runs away to London and tries to find his fortune. So why are the vast majority of the boys up for the main role living at the opposite end of the dear master Twist's original workhouse fate?
Did the BBC intentionally plan to visit the boys at their posh prep schools with the results of the "You could be Olivers" to show this huge difference in their lives?









Are boarding schools where children are sent away at the age of seven, any different from workhouses? Of course they are! However 20-30 years ago boarding schools were not such pleasant places and were only where the upper classes sent their their Tarquins and Cressidas. Nowadays, Jack and Chloe go along to public school at Lancing, Fettes and Uppingham, whilst Tarquin goes to the local grammar school because the trust fund has run out!
New money is paying for private education and how do I know? Because I'm a buyer of private education.

My son has a boy in his class who auditioned for Oliver, and we just about pay the school fees and I can't imagine how much those extra acting, singing and dancing lessons cost plus the agent's fees on top? But when your dad is a lawyer I suppose you can pay for more just like some of the parents of the young boys who sing each week on the Oliver shows. Bad enough trying to find the £100k or there abouts we will need for 5 years at public school. No he will not be a boarder!!!!

So basically life is not fair .......Life is still about money and status nothing about fairness. Yep that sums it up as eloquently as I can for 11pm on a Saturday night.