Eurovision acts set for showdown

The six acts hoping to represent the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest are facing their biggest test yet. Under the glaring lights of the BBC's main studio at Television Centre in London, the singers are tackling rehearsals for the first live show on Saturday night. The floor is crawling with production staff, the set is lit with the colours of the Union Jack, and the band strikes up with Abba's Eurovision classic Waterloo. The acts run through their group performance of the song with great success, the opener for Your Country Needs You. They may be just getting to grips with working on television, but for one act, the dream will come to an end on Saturday



A constant presence on set is Andrew Lloyd Webber, who is spearheading the UK's campaign to improve its Eurovision fortunes. So keen to showcase the six acts he has chosen for the finals, he has invited the press to hear them sing unplugged and at close With nothing more than the barest piano accompaniment in a corner of the studio, Welshman Mark Evans powers through his song first. "Keep your voice open," says Lloyd Webber, who gives musical guidance to each of his charges."He's a very talented boy and has a very good presence," he remarks, while the 23-year-old dashes across town to appear in panto. Five-piece vocal harmony group Emperors of Soul are a different prospect altogether. "I'm a fat lot of use with them!" Lloyd Webber says of his mentoring skills with the slick quintet.