Toy Show audition? It’s The Hunger Games with tinsel!
THE Late Late Christmas Toy Show kicked off the first leg of its nationwide auditions in Limerick yesterday, with presenter Ryan Tubridy bringing the festive fun in one of his trademark jumpers.
Tubs, who will host his tenth edition of RTÉ’s Yuletide programme on November 30, joked that the competition for places on the show was ‘vicious’.
‘It’s like The Hunger Games with tinsel,’ he said. ‘People want to do whatever they can to get onto this programme, because for whatever reason, people seem to like the joviality, the shenanigans, and the goof. The world needs more of that because the place has gone very serious.’
Anna Doody, from Newcastle West, Co. Limerick, who performed ABBA’s Dancing Queen, was in awe. ‘I can’t sleep at night thinking about it all the time,’ said the 11-year-old. ‘I think Ryan is hilarious, he’s so funny – he looks like Dermot Bannon.’ Anna was then gobsmacked to be introduced to another hero, All-Ireland-winning hurler Shane Dowling, who was making a guest appearance with the Liam MacCarthy Cup.
Drumming troupe Drumadore, from Headford in Galway, made themselves heard with a cacophony of swirls and beats.
Former Saw Doctors stickman Eimhin Cradock, who runs the group, said: ‘They love it. Everyone comes together and there’s a great social aspect.’
Brothers Jack and Danny Gibbons, Headford’s answer to Keith Moon and Ringo Starr, said it was ‘great craic’. ‘We perform at all the Connacht (rugby) games. The drumming is a good stress reliever,’ they added.
Meanwhile, Cork’s Rebel Brass had fingers clicking, hips swaying, and feet tapping with their New York jazzy sound, and managed to coax Tubs into auditioning (badly) for a trumpet role. Eileen Siobhán Creedon, 11, was one of 35 pupils who travelled from Scoil Mhuire, Ballincollig, Cork, to sing a Mary Poppins medley. ‘I had such an amazing experience with all my best friends doing what I am passionate about,’ she said.
Last year’s show highlighted the plight of children caught in the trap of homelessness, and this year’s programme will once again shine a light on the struggles of Ireland’s vulnerable youngsters
Pausing from the fun and frolics at the Strand Hotel, Tubridy said the show now has ‘a place to deliver a non-invasive message’ to ‘convey something important to an enormous amount of people in the kindest way possible’.
The team now heads to Tullamore and Dublin for more auditions before the line-up is decided.
Tubridy parted with a final note of advice for those taking part: ‘Be natural, be happy, enjoy yourself… and don’t mention Brexit.’
‘I can’t sleep thinking about it’