Hi,

I realise in previous years many of the runners-up have gone on to have successful careers, if not more so than the winner.

However the average age of this particular bunch worries me slightly. I'm not sure how likely they are to land roles straight off the back of this, and by the time they get enough training it could be too late.

Personally, I think Jessica will be ok, and that is purely because she is a huge character. But the girls who went out first, especially Dani who is so young in comparison, may struggle.

Does anyone else think this might be the case? I certainly hope it isn't!

I think more of the girls from this show are going off to train than from previous shows. Bronte and Jessica have said they are and Jenny's already doing a musical theatre course. I'm assuming most of them will go and train and then try to get a job.

How many roles for 18 year olds are there? They could fill those there are - problem is someone is filling most of them. There's no Cosette or Christine style sopranos there and Eponine is difficult. SOM needs Liesls. Oliver needs Bet. The Linda character in Blood Brothers would suit Stephanie at risk of scousertypecasting if she can sing it but the current London Linda is brilliant. The Spice Girls musical may offer a role there at some point but who knows if thats a good idea.

Chicago they did well with but there's that dancing and all the roles are for people in their late 20s upwards. Legally could cast some younger people as most are are meant to be young 20s but the leads are all much older so they can't do those and the people around the leads can't look too young.

Niamh and Sam suggest there's potential for Mama Mia and Cabaret, Little Shop of Horrors has 3 female decent roles on top of Audrey. Fame has roles. Grease helped Siobhan. The Narrator in Joseph may beckon if Keith could do it at his age.

There's also a market for Snow White's and Cinderellas that several Nancies and Marias cut their teeth in plus all theHigh school musical spin offs.

Any more ?

Not sure whether they shoud train. Rachel and Aoife both did, some shows are full of people with firsts and postgrad degrees in acting from the top colleges. On the other hand Siobhan, Niamh and Sam didn't and they are in the WestEnd too. Perhaps its crucial later on and perhaps you are better if you expand your range of skills and/or become unusually good at something on top of singing.

Well Jessica could take over from Tamsin Outhwaite. She would wipe the floor with her, if that is the supposed wonderful standard of the West End, then the OTR contestants are all going to be superstars, or is it just another case of a producer thinking someone who's been in a TV series would make a good musical theatre star.

I thought that role would really suit Jessica myself when I saw Tamsin Outhwaite perform tonight. I agree she would be better.

I don't think taking time away to train would necessarily lose them too much impetus. Leanne from HDYSAPLM did, and I think she's doing OK.

Leanne played Cosette for a year in 2008/9 but no one seems to know what she's doing now.

Doing a course may help with other things I imagine - it gives you a degree to teach from? Helena isn't in anything at the moment but she seems to be judging competitions and even auditionng students for her old drama college.

Looking at cast lists it also seems to matter where you go - there's not that many names on many show's lists.

I fully expect Jenny to be the new face of L'Oreal.

Stephanie has only just turned 17 but looked older. She really should have been Dorothy!

I am not sure I agree with you re the age thing. there were a lot of young Nancy's- Niamh, Sam and Jessica and Josephs- lewis, ben, Keith and Anthony and all have gone on to good things without further training.

Diane Vickers did alright at 17.

I actually think that Dani (not one of my favourites though) may well be the biggest star of the lot one day.

Also they not have done formal training but how much will they have learned on the job.

Jessie's first role in A Little Night Music was directed by Trevor Nunn, she probably learnt more working with him and the rest of the cast in those few months than she would in a four year degree course.

I remember seeing a video on Sam's website of her singing 'Maybe This Time' in a performance of Cabaret at the beginning of the tour and it wasn't good, so when I went to see it a few months later I prepared my self for it not being that great, but it was outstanding. She's obviously got better and better as the show went on.

Getting better and better as the show goes on is all very well, but the paying public in the first shows are short cahnegd and getting poorer performances. I think training can help dvelop stamina as well as skills - its not fair to expect this to happen when people are paying high prices for theatre seats.

I think she looked older sometimes but only cos of the makeup. I saw a picture of her without makeup and she looked about 12!

But I think she will do really well, and all the others will probably do something to. Jessica needs to be in Cabaret

Personality does shine through and it is important.when you see a show. It matters that they are believable because it draws us into the show we are watching.
Jessica, Lauren and Steph have been the best at bringing their emotions forward when singing the lyrics in most of their performances. Danielle, Jenny, Emilie and Stephanie did at times too.

I wish all the girls well. They have been a treat to watch.

I think that when we look back there will be several who have gone on to successful West End roles.

But there will be one who will have really outshone all the rest, although it might not necessarily be in musical theatre..

And she was the youngest of the lot.