Video: West End Shows Go Head to Head in EUROVISION Video Competition

The countdown is on to the return of the legendary charity production WEST END EUROVISION - being staged in the heart of London's Theatreland for the first time in four years at the Shaftesbury Theatre on Sunday April 22.

The 8 competing shows last night unveiled their Ident Movies and are now seeking public votes to win the coveted The Best Video Ident Trophy.

Ahead of the real 63rd annual Eurovision Song Contest in Lisbon, Portugal on Saturday May 12, the eight West End shows competing in WEST END EUROVISION 2018 are: 42nd Street, Aladdin, Dreamgirls, Hamilton, Kinky Boots, Mamma Mia!, The Phantom of the Opera and Young Frankenstein.

WEST END EUROVISION 2018 promises a sea of flags and the most outrageous costumes as the casts of some of Theatreland's biggest shows battle it out to be crowned the champions of West End Eurovision, to raise funds for the Make A Difference Trust.

Eight of the West End's top musicals will be competing against each other by singing original Eurovision Song Contest songs to win text votes from the audience and the approval of a panel of celebrity judges and judges from each competing show.

The casts will be giving their all to lift 3 coveted WEST END EUROVISION 2018 Trophies - The Champions, The Best Video Ident Award and The Best Creative.

WEST END EUROVISION will also feature a special guest appearance by a past original Eurovision Song Contest entrant. Previous performances have included: Scooch, Nicki French, Bardo, Javine Hylton, The Original Bucks Fizz, Sonia and Katrina Leskanich (Katrina and the Waves).

The feel-good, edge-of-your-seat-exciting & interactive charity event will once again raise funds for the Make A Difference Trust. Since the first contest was staged in 2008, the event has raised thousands to support the MAD Trust. The Trust works with its partners to support HIV and AIDS projects both in the UK and Sub-Saharan Africa building awareness and providing care support and education.

The last WEST END EUROVISION held in 2014 saw Les Misérables named joint winners with Mamma Mia!, Les Misérables (with Sir Cameron Mackintosh making a guest
appreareance on film dressed as an airline pilot) performed
Flying the Flag (For You) Scooch's song, which came 22nd for the UK in 2007, while Mamma Mia! performed Waterloo, ABBA's winning Swedish Eurovision song from 1974.

Melanie Tranter, chair of the Make A Difference Trust said "on behalf of the board of trustees and not importantly all those who will benefit fro the work we do, I would like to say a huge thank you to all the performers, crew and everyone involved for
helping us to make West End Eurovision happen again. The generosity of time talent and spirit of all of these amazing people will make the return of West End Eurovision one of the best nights in the West End. We are thrilled to see the return of this glittering night of high camp fun back for one amazing night!"

Tickets for this year's West End Eurovision are priced from £43.20 and are available from http://www.shaftesburytheatre.com/shows/west-end-eurovision/.

See all the video submissions below!