UPDATE: Apparently all the contestants appear in full costume on the show and are referred to throughout by their stage names!
Weakest Link ‘West End Musicals’ Celebrity Special
Publicity Information
Wednesday 31st December
BBC One, 20.00
Who needs to go back to stage school?
Who’s distinctly off-key?
Who should be calling for their understudy?
Who needs a prompt to get their answers right?
Nine celebrities from the West End musical stage take part in a show more terrifying than their opening night – taking on Anne Robinson, and playing for charity in a special edition of Weakest Link…and they thought that they knew the meaning of stage fright!
Will the musical stars hit the right notes?
Will they be left wishing they’d stayed hidden in the wings?
And will TV’s Queen of Mean, Anne Robinson, leave them hoping that they never work in this town again?
Contestant Line-Up
RYAN MOLLOY – Frankie Valli in ‘Jersey Boys’
Ryan plays the lead role of Frankie Valli in the Jersey Boys. He has also appeared on stage in LA & London. Theatre credits include playing Steve Strange in Taboo, and appearances in Jerry Springer The Opera and works of Shakespeare. As a singer & songwriter has written for Sting, Pussycat Dolls, Trevor Horn and Frankie Goes To Hollywood.
BEN ELLIS – Link Larkin in ‘Hairspray’
Ben is currently playing lead role of Link Larkin in the West End production of Hairspray. Ben was training at The Italia Conti Academy of Performing Arts before auditioning for the BBC One programme ‘Any Dream Will Do’, where he made it to the final 12 contestants. Ben was in the competition for 8 weeks before missing out on a place in the final.
SUMMER STRALLEN – Maria in ‘The Sound of Music’
Summer took over from Connie Fisher as Maria in the Sound Of Music. The niece of Bonnie Langford, Summer has also appeared in Hollyoaks as Summer Straw, and Hotel Babylon. Theatre credits include Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Guys and Dolls and The Boyfriend.
RACHEL TUCKER - Meat in ‘We Will Rock You’
Rachel currently plays Meat in the West End production of ‘We Will Rock You’. Hailing from Belfast, Rachel trained at The Royal Academy of Music. She appeared in the final twelve of the BBC show ‘Id Do Anything’, making it through to the semi finals.
JOANNA MUNRO – Rosie in ‘Mamma Mia!’
Joanna plays Rosie, one of the Dynamos in Mamma Mia.
She has appeared in numerous theatre productions including; Blood Brothers, Prisoner Cell Block H, Baby Love and Rough Cross. As an established television actress she has appeared in Casualty, Emmerdale, Dangerfield, The Bill and many others.
SIMON BAILEY – Raoul in ‘Phantom of the Opera’
Simon has been performing professionally for the last five years. He has appeared at the West End in Romeo & Juliet, Joseph, We Will Rock You and currently Raoul in Phantom Of The Opera. Simon is also a member of the male opera group ‘Teatro’.
MARK GOLDTHORP – Nicky in ‘Avenue Q’
Mark appears as the puppeteer for Nicky, Trekkie Monster and the ‘Bad Idea Bear’ in Avenue Q. He has also appeared in numerous touring theatre productions and his West End credits include The Drowsy Chaperone and Whistle Down The Wind. Mark is also a playwright and has directed two films.
DIANNE PILKINGTON – Glinda in ‘Wicked’
Dianne plays the good witch Glinda in West End musical ‘Wicked’. Dianne has also appeared in Les Mis, Taboo and tours of Cats and Beauty & The Beast.
MATT RAWLE – Zorro in ‘Zorro’
Matt is currently appearing as Zorro at the Garrick theatre. Matt is best known for being a successful theatre actor, halving also appeared in West end productions of Miss Saigon, Martin Guerre and Evita amongst others.
PROGRAMME HIGHLIGHTS:
Round One:
Anne Robinson mocks Matt Rawle (a.k.a. Zorro) for his Brummie accent – ‘So, did you learn your sword skills in Dudley then?’
AR finds out from Summer Strallen (a.k.a. Maria) that she is Bonnie Langford’s niece, and AR then asks her to put her leg behind her head (as Langford did when she appeared on WL). Summer duly obliges!
Round Two:
AR talks to Ben Ellis (a.k.a. Link) about being a ‘failed Joseph’, and asks whether he got ‘…a snog from Andrew Lloyd Webber’.
Ben/Link sings a little song for Anne, finishing on the line ‘Anne Robinson I’m in love with you, no matter what you weigh’.
Round Three:
Simon Bailey (a.k.a. Raoul) sings a song to Anne from ‘Phantom of the Opera’, rewording the last line to ‘Annie…that’s all I ask of you.’
Round Five:
Ryan Molloy (a.k.a. Frankie Valli) sings ‘Sherry Baby’ in a very impressive falsetto!
SILLY ANSWERS:
Round Two:
AR: In cities, Stockholm is the capital of which European country?
Link: Russia?
AR: In medicine, what ‘P’ is traditionally said to be ‘better than cure’?
Frankie: …er…’Prescription’?
Round Three:
AR: Which historic town, about twenty-five miles west of London, has a name that is an old term for virginity, and was the birthplace of Simon Bailey?
Frankie: Crouch End?
Round Five:
AR: In stereotypes, what ‘E’ is the general term for the reference books that door-to-door salesmen were often portrayed trying to sell?
Frankie: …er…Elastic?
Round Six:
AR: According to the proverb, what is ‘no stronger than its weakest link’?
Rosie: Money?
AR: In clothing, which article of Latin American dress is designed to be worn on the head – a poncho, or a sombrero?
Link: A poncho?
Round Seven:
AR: In history, in 1695 a new tax was imposed in England and Wales on occupants of houses with a minimum number of six …what?
Link: Children?
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