On WEST END EUROVISION!

The Eurovision Song Contest has always been a highlight of my yearly calendar, beating Christmas, Easter, my birthday, and even holidays. As a young child I remember being completely fascinated with Eurovision. One Saturday night in May, the family would gather around our small TV in our living room and watch with anticipation as various countries battled it out with a three-minute song performed in their native language, often with hilarious results.

The competition was live on TV and you knew that families all across Europe were doing the same thing as us, waiting, watching and yearning for their country hopefully to be crowned the winners and champions.

As years went on, the competition grew as Europe grew, with more and more countries taking part. Looking back I think this was where I discovered what camp was - without even realising. Countries got braver with performance styles and gimmicks. It was becoming so theatrical, sequins, lavish dance routines, bare flesh, tight lycra, drums and, more often than not, comedic staging.

Somewhere deep down I had a secret desire to represent the United Kingdom.

Well, dreams can become true, well maybe not on that scale... but what's that? West End Eurovision!

In 2008, The Make A Difference trust launched West End Eurovision. The idea was that 10 shows would battle it out - "ooh, ahh, just a little bit" - for the crown. Each show chooses a song from the colourful, sometimes painful, song book of the real Eurovision Song Contest to perform on the night.

The cast, crew and creatives from each show dedicate their time for free, extra hours of rehearsals to practise and polish their chosen entry. These rehearsals take place throughout the already sometimes gruelling schedules of eight shows a week, understudy rehearsals and wear and tear of commitment to the demands of a West End show.

As the countdown begins till the event you can feel a real sense of rivalry between shows, as each show tries to keep the identity of their song under wraps. Rehearsals take place in secret and no one is allowed to show or reveal any excerpts, effects and performance styles through the power of social media.

My dear friend Sister Mary McArthur represented The Jermyn Street Theatre in 2010 and she commented: "I have never experienced anything like it, the nerves, the atmosphere, the nerves, the excitement, the nerves, the tap shoes, the audience that lifts you when you're down. The curtain rises and there you are - centre stage. The eyes of the glitteratti, watching, judging, supporting you, wanting you to be fabulous and stagey."

This year's contest was held at The Dominion Theatre. It was such a privilege and an honour to be asked by The Make a Difference Trust Charity to be the host and presenter of their Red Carpet. As each celebrity arrived - Graham Norton, Sinitta, Biggins, and a host of leading West End performers - it was a dream come true to be interviewing and asking questions about one of my favourite things in the world, Eurovision!

I imagined what it must be like to be on the red carpet of the real Eurovision - if anyone knows anyone involved in next year's Eurovision in Denmark - call my agent...

The company of We Will Rock You kicked off with a glowing 'True Britannia' style tribute to the UK's winners from the Eurovision Song Contest. Save Your Kisses for Me, skirt ripping with a bit of Making Your MInd Up, some love shining a light and how can you not perform one of the UK's campest entries, yes, Flying The Flag - a great opening to what was to become a truly hilarious camp evening.

Some shows shone more than others in their song choices and performances: Wicked who sparkled with strong vocals, A Chorus Line singing in Russian and dancing as Russian dolls, and Top Hat with hilarious costumes and lots of flesh on display as they performed Genghis Khan, plus a special mention to Billy Elliot for including a cameo appearance tribute to Maggie Thatcher towards the end of the song.

But the winners of the night which seemed obvious as soon as they had performed - Once with a genius, hilarious, subtle version of Dana's winning song All Kinds Of Everything. Each cast member was dressed as a reference to a lyric in the song, for example, butterflies and bees. Half way through they burst into a mad Irish jig which had the crowd on its feet.

So a superb evening over, but the real reason for the evening was to raise money to help and support people with HIV and Aids. Early indications show that the MAD Trust managed to raise over £50,000 - well done one and all.

Here's to West End Eurovision 2014: I wonder which shows will take part and who

will win.....

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