Big Night of Musicals returns

The National Lottery’s Big Night of Musicals returns in 2025, with a sparkling line-up of numbers from some of the UK’s best West End and touring productions many of which play across the Midlands, plus exciting previews of the shows to hit theatres this year.

Marisha Wallace, Jason Manford, Michael Ball. (Image credit: BBC/TBI Media)

Hosted by Jason Manford, the show – which was filmed earlier this year at Manchester’s AO Arena in front of an audience of 12,000 people – features a special number performed by Manford and Daniel Mays.

Marisha Wallace takes to the stage to perform Maybe This Time from Cabaret, which she is playing in as Sally Bowles alongside Billy Porter’s Emcee at The KitKat Club, London until 24th May. Layton Williams stars in hilarious new comedy Titanique, and Carrie Hope Fletcher takes audiences to the wild wild west, with Calamity Jane; playing across the Midlands at Birmingham Hippodrome, Nottingham Theatre Royal, Norwich Theatre Royal, Stoke Regent Theatre, Leicester Curve, and Wolverhampton Grand Theatre. The show will also take audiences behind the curtain to follow Strictly’s Johannes Radebe in his musical theatre début with Kinky Boots which comes to Birmingham Hippodrome in April, and Nottingham’s Theatre Royal in July.

Vicky McClure’s Our Dementia Choir take on a classic with Michael Ball, and musical theatre stars of the future unite for a special performance from Billy Elliot. While Billy Porter, Ruthie Henshall, and Faye Tozer will also make guest appearances.

There will be performances of numbers from the casts of Chicago (playing in Nottingham, Birmingham, Leicester, Wolverhampton, and Norwich), Mary Poppins (Birmingham), Mean Girls, and Disney’s Hercules. There will also be peformances from Here and Now: the Steps Musical – which premiered at Birmingham’s Alexandra Theatre, Jim Steinberg’s Bat Out Of Hell, and Dear Evan Hansen; which returns to Birmingham later this year.

The show airs on BBC One on Saturday 22nd March from 6.50pm.

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