Biggest Night of Musicals by the National Lottery

About this Broadcast

Jason Manford presents highlights of the past four years' concerts celebrating West End musicals and touring productions, featuring performances from Mary Poppins, The Bodyguard, Matilda the Musical, The Phantom of the Opera and Back to the Future: The Musical. Jason and Beverley Knight get things started with a circus-themed number from The Greatest Showman, Michael Ball performs with Our Dementia Choir and a there's a presentation of Electricity from Billy Elliot by two grass-roots groups. Plus, an all-star performance of Bring Him Home from Les Misérables, featuring four Jean Valjeans, and Wicked favourite Defying Gravity, by Laura Pick

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Music/Ballet/Dance Musical

Cast & Crew

Jason Manford (Host)

Alfie Boe (Performer)

Beverley Knight (Performer)

Michael Ball (Performer)

Laura Pick (Performer)

Anna Meadows (Executive producer)

Phil Critchlow (Executive producer)

Richard Lovering (Director)

More Information

Did You Know..

Jason Manford (Host)

Born: May 26, 1981 in Salford

Best Known For: His comedy musings.

Early-life: Jason John Manford was born in Salford on May 26, 1981. His mother was 16 when she gave birth to him. He and his three brothers and one sister grew up in a tough area of Salford. At 17 he was a glass collector in a comedy club. He got up on stage to perform one night when a comedian failed to turn up and that was the start of his showbiz career. Six gigs later he was crowned The City Life North West Comedian of the Year. He cites Billy Connolly, Tommy Cooper and Les Dawson as major influences.

Career: Manford was nominated for the Perrier Award in Edinburgh in 2005 for his show Urban Legends. He then became a regular at comedy clubs across the UK. His first major TV appearance was as a guest on the Channel 4 panel show 8 Out of 10 Cats; he later replaced Dave Spikey as a team captain. His stand-up shows are hugely popular and he has given snippets of his routine on shows such as Live at The Apollo and Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow. He was an instant hit as host of The One Show but quit after some Twitter indiscretions. In July 2012, he revealed some versatility by appearing in the West End revival of the musical Sweeney Todd. In 2015, he starred in the BBC One drama Ordinary Lies and played Leo Bloom in a touring version of Mel Brooks' The Producers.

Quote: "My dad had narcolepsy. He'd just fall asleep. My brother and me would change into our school uniforms so when he woke up he'd think he'd slept all night and was late for work."

Trivia: Manford supports Manchester City.