The huge free arena event The National Lottery’s Big Night of Musicals is set to be screened on BBC One next week, plus broadcast on BBC Radio 2 with Samantha Barks and Layton Williams.
Funded by the National Lottery, the show played Manchester’s AO Arena on 27 February 2023, and was filmed by the BBC.
The BBC will broadcast the event on BBC One next Saturday, 25 March 2023 at 7.50pm, and then available on BBC iPlayer.
13 big musicals performed at the show, including We Will Rock You, Disney’s Newsies, Wicked, Matilda The Musical, SIX the Musical, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations, The King and I, Mamma Mia!, Hamilton and Les Miserables.
The show was hosted by actor and comedian Jason Manford, who is soon to play The Cowardly Lion in the London Palladium production of The Wizard of Oz.
Watch the BBC trailer for Big Night of Musicals
Special guest stars at the event included Michael Ball, who sand from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Aspects of Love – which he is starring in at the Lyric Theatre in London’s West End from 12 May.
As an added bonus, a two-hour special will also run on BBC Radio 2 the following Sunday, 26 March 2023 at 8pm.
“Big Night of Musicals with Samantha Barks (Frozen The Musical) and Layton Williams” will see the musical theatre stars present a two hour radio show centred on the Big Night of Musicals concert, plus the pair going backstage interviewing the stars taking part on the night.
The show will also be available on BBC Sounds for 30 days after the broadcast.
The event is held to thank National Lottery players for the support they have given to tens of thousands of arts projects and over 2000 theatres during the pandemic.
