Sam Bailey is one of the most down to earth people you could meet. Despite winning the 2013 series of X Factor, having a Christmas number one and supporting Beyoncé on her UK tour, she doesn’t seem phased by any of it.
After being dropped by her record label earlier this year, Sam has decided to try something a bit different and put on a one night only concert in London’s West End at the Lyric Theatre (current home to Thriller Live!) Last night she did just that to a sold out audience of fans and theatre lovers.
Sam’s love of Theatre is apparent (admitting having seen Les Miserables 18 times and Wicked about 20) but her knowledge on the subject could use some fine tuning. She is the first to admit she didn’t know who Sondheim was until she started preparing for this show and timing issues, slips up with lines and even forgetting the names to songs, showed that a few more musical theatre lessons (and a few more rehearsals) could have been needed.
Sam’s guests were an eclectic mix of TV contest winners (Collabro, Union J), West End performers (Caroline Sheen, Michael Xavier, Boys of the Barricade), New York songwriter Scott Alan and a Musical Theatre school choir. There was no real structure to the performance which would have been nice to fit within the theatrical theme but the rowdy crowd of middle aged women loved every moment of the show, living vicariously through her career in the hope that it might not be too late for them.
From Hairspray and Sister Act to Les Miss and Miss Saigon to Sunset Boulevard there was a bit of something for most people in the show. Backing dancers and a large band gave the night a special feeling and as a one off performance from a girl who has always dreamed of performing on a west end stage, she can now be very proud of herself for achieving her dream.
Reviewed by West End Wilma
Photo: Joseph Sinclair
Watch my interview with Sam Bailey about this concert below