Star quality through the noise

I reviewed Britain's Got Talent live at the NIA last night. You forget just how loud small children can be. This was swimming pools on a hot day in the school holidays times an England women's hockey international times ten simultaneous birthday parties at McDonalds. Just a constant wall of high pitched screams.

With Britain's obsession with any fleeting hint of celebrity and rush to see anyone who has appeared on TV the promoters knew they were on a winner as they cashed in on the TV show. Had they collected the ten best variety acts in Britain, or even the world, and put them on at the NIA at £32.50 a pop they would have been lucky to sell the first three rows - and that would have been mainly to friends and family.

Make it a TV show spin off though, a sort of Gang Show with untried acts who were unknown a month or so ago, and you are quids in in spades. I am not knocking the performers, good luck to them. They have been given a chance and they are taking it and, more important, seem to be loving every minute of it with an enthusiasm which is infectious.

My own feeling is that acts appear in shows but stars put on shows and on that basis most of the finalists were acts, and largely novelty acts at that, with a limited shelf life but let them enjoy it as long as they can. With no real variety circuit left they should manage a few years of clubs, cruises, seaside season and panto along with ads, film and TV work which should ensure a comfortable life when the bubble bursts and audiences move on to the next overnight TV sensations.

In 12-year-old Faryl Smith though the show has unearthed a talent which has the potential to take on the world. She has the richest soprano voice I have ever heard and has yet to reach her teens. She is a star in the making destined for audiences way beyond the TV gawpers.

The other find was Escala, who we must be honest are a bit of a Bond clone. They have been on the prawn sandwich circuit but have shown they are capable of much more than musak in the corner or a five minute spot at the end of the pier. I am probably not alone in being quite happy to watch them for ten minutes or so even if they didn't play a thing but I am sure the next time the quartet appear in Birmingham it will be in concert and not among the finalists of a talent show.