Now in its fourth year of spectacle at the AO Arena Manchester, the 2025 rendition of The National Lottery’s Big Night of Musicals is its usual mismatch of showstopping performances, comedic asides and emotional moments, mixed in nicely with the average and simply terrible pieces of musical theatre. Hosted again by actor and comedian Jason Manford, the annual event saw a wide variety of performances from established and new productions around the country.
Disney Theatricals was out in full force, with the two best numbers of the evening coming from the upcoming tour of Mary Poppins and West End adaptation of Hercules, with both delivering toe-tapping numbers to remind the 13,000-strong audience why the Disney classics have such a special place in our hearts. Particularly notable were the five Fates, with an exciting performance of ‘Zero to Hero’, that due to good fortune and technical difficulties, we were treated to twice!
Other notable performances came from Georgina Castle, performing ‘World Burn’ from Mean Girls with a dark intensity that made me forget how little I enjoy this musical, simply in pure awe at the talent and stage presence she brought to her performance. Calamity Jane and Bat Out of Hell were also surprising, and unfortunately for my bank balance, have already made me consider seeing these unlikely titles too. The performances provided from a number of local choirs and young theatre groups were also exceptional – a standing ovation from 13,000 people looks much more impressive than you can ever imagine!
But by throwing together a variety of new theatre, there are always bound to be some performances that fall flat, and The National Lottery’s Big Night of Musicals was no exception. Most notably characterised by the lack of power and intensity from the touring cast of Dear Evan Hansen, but also from Here & Now – a musical based around the music of Steps which feels like a very bad re-imagining of Made in Dagenham, these performances very simply fell flat, and notably did nothing to inspire me to want to see them in full – and thank goodness it wasn’t these ones we had to hear from twice!
Also commendable was hosting by Jason Manford, a comedian who commands the attention of an arena with easy and comfort. Whether it’s his light-hearted gags or way he plays with technical difficulties, Manford was on point throughout. Even with a ten-minute show stop, Manford easily pulled out an engaging and off-the-cuff section of one of his comedy sets, entertaining thousands as if it was planned. Professional and hilarious, he remains one of the best live hosts imaginable.
As in previous years, The National Lottery’s Big Night of Musicals is a mixed bag of joy and joyless, entertaining and boring, but shines an important light on some of the fantastic (and not so fantastic!) productions in U.K. theatre in the upcoming year. But don’t just take my word for it – tune in to the live broadcast later this year and judge for yourselves – it’s a lot more enjoyable when you can skip the bad bits!
Rating: ★★★☆☆
The National Lottery’s Big Night of Musicals was filmed at the AO Arena in Manchester on January 27th & will be shown on the BBC in the Spring
