Junior Eurovision - Malta has won this year's Junior Eurovision Song contest held in Kiev, Ukraine. Eleven-year-old Gaia Cauchi scored 130 points with her ballad, The Start, which she also helped compose and write. She beat 11 other countries to win the trophy, with Ukraine and Belarus finishing second and third. It is the first time Malta has won the contest, after returning to compete following a three-year break. Cauchi, who lives in the small rural village of Mgarr, is no stranger to winning talent shows. She finished first in the international selection of the San Remo Junior song contest and was honoured with an achievement award at the 2013 Malta Music Awards.
Off Stage - Tim Rice's new musical From Here to Eternity is to close in April next year, after a run of six months in the West End. The musical, composed by Stuart Brayson with lyrics by Rice, opened in October. It will now close on April 26, 2014. From Here to Eternity is adapted from James Jones' book and is directed by Tamara Harvey. It has choreography by Javier de Frutos and design by Soutra Gilmour and is produced in the West End by Rice and Lee Menzies.
Dance On - A modern version of celebrated dance troupe The Tiller Girls is being launched, with auditions taking place in London this week. The chorus line, famous for their high-kicking routines, once counted former House Of Commons Speaker Baroness Boothroyd as a member. John Tiller, who founded the troupe in Manchester in 1890, is credited with inventing precision dance. The new Tiller Girls are being lined up to star in a BBC Christmas special. The Tiller family has licensed the name to World Dance Management, which is aiming to bring the troupe up to date and make it "relevant to today's audience".
(Jim Evans)
