Behind The Scenes Of Launch Of I CAN'T SING! THE X FACTOR MUSICAL

Olivier Award-winner Nigel Harman leads the cast as Simon Cowell in Harry Hill's brand new musical I CAN'T SING! THE X FACTOR MUSICAL. Rising stars Cynthia Erivo and Alan Morrissey will join Harman as the love-struck wannabe pop-singers Chenice and Max.

I CAN'T SING comes hot on the heels of recent flop, VIVA FOREVER, but the show's launch calmed fears of a repeat, with a reassuring combination of humourous writing and strong talent. Erivo, currently receiving huge plaudits as Celie in THE COLOR PURPLE, is keen to show how much she deserves this break and put her skills to great use in the ironically named title song.

Creator's Harry Hill and Steve Brown have assured fans that the musical about the popular ITV1 talent contest won't pull any punches - although, comparing it to his ITV1 show TV BURP, he said it would be affectionate rather than cruel and more of a send-up than satire. With plenty of humour on display in the songs previewed, producers will be hoping for plenty of yes's from audiences when the show opens next spring.

Double Olivier Award-winner Sean Foley is directing his first West End Musical and explained what convinced him to take it on he put it down to creators Hill and Brown. He said 'It sounded like a horrible cash in thing, but with Harry Hill and Steve Brown on board, I've knew I had to read this. I want it to be its own thing in its own right separate to THE X FACTOR'.

The launch saw many barbs directed at X Factor supremo Simon Cowell's private life, taken in good humour. Composer Brown explained that the show has been rewritten to keep up to date with the latest news, but only three lines. Simon Cowell, promised, to much laughter, that the show opens in just seven months and there's only so much more that can happen.

I CANT SING! THE X FACTOR MUSICAL opens at the London Palladium on Wednesday 26th March 2014, with previews from Thursday 27th February.

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