‘It'll be a perfect night!'

Jason Manford chats to TV Times about his dream gig as host of a musical spectacular

- REBECCA FLETCHER

BIG NIGHT OF MUSICALS

NEW SATURDAY / BBC1 / 7PM / ENTERTAINMENT

Jason Manford all smiles at the thought of hosting the National Lottery’s Big Night of Musicals this Saturday. No stranger to treading the boards, having starred in UK tours of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and The Producers plus the West End production of Sweeney Todd, the popular comedian, actor, and presenter is looking forward to opening the celebration with his own spectacular performance.

‘It would be silly not to, given that there’s a live orchestra,’ grins Jason, 40, as he joins TV Times for an exclusive interview.

‘I’ll open up with a bit of the old razzle-dazzle, and then let the professionals get on with it!’

Filmed at Manchester’s AO Arena, and bringing together some of the biggest shows in theatreland, the one-off extravaganza is a thank you to lottery players who helped the National Lottery to support over 2,000 theatres with a £228 million fund during the pandemic.

Here, Jason tells us more about what to expect…

This celebration of musicals sounds like a night to remember!

Oh, I can’t wait! We’ve got all the big shows, the heavy hitters from the West End, plus musical numbers from touring productions and regional theatre. It’s a great mix. The perfect night, really – you don’t have to watch the whole show, just wait for the bangers!

What are the biggest challenges in staging an event like this?