As well as increasing the number of apprenticeships in the creative industries, the party has reaffirmed its commitment to creating a 'prime minister's committee' on the arts, culture and creative industries - which would bring problems in the sector directly to the prime minister's attention. The Conservative party is expected to publish its election manifesto tomorrow.
Elvis Tours - Soul singer Mica Paris is to star in the tour of Elvis Presley musical Love Me Tender. Originally titled All Shook Up when it was staged on Broadway in 2005, the renamed show will open at the Manchester Opera House on 5 June before touring the UK and Ireland until 26 September. Speaking about the casting, producer Adam Spiegel said, "I'm a huge fan of Mica Paris, and as soon as I heard her audition I knew she was perfect for the role of Sylvia. Her incredible, powerful voice and presence does true justice to the greatest hits of the one and only king of rock'n'roll, Elvis Presley."
It visit venues including Bristol Hippodrome, the New Wimbledon Theatre, the King's Theatre in Glasgow and Liverpool's Empire Theatre. Karen Bruce will direct and choreograph the show, which has a book by Joe DiPietro and is produced by Adam Spiegel Productions, Robert G Bartner and the Ambassador Theatre Group. Further casting is yet to be announced.
Vinyl Revival - The UK's first weekly vinyl chart has been launched by the Official Charts Company as sales of vinyl albums and singles continue to soar. Despite predictions that CDs - then MP3s and streaming - would render vinyl obsolete, sales reached an 18-year high in 2014, at 1.29m. Figures show sales of vinyl albums are set to grow by another 70% this year. Chasing Yesterday by Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds is 2015's biggest-selling vinyl album so far. The weekly vinyl albums and singles charts, published on the Official Charts Company website, are being introduced ahead of Record Store Day on 18 April.
On The Small Screen - Coverage of this year's Olivier Awards on ITV attracted an average of 700,000 viewers, down 12.5% on last year and almost 50% since they were first aired in 2013. Highlights of the awards were broadcast between 10.15pm and midnight on 12 April, shortly after the ceremony itself took place at the Royal Opera House in London. The average of 700,000 viewers on ITV equates to a 6% share of viewing at that time, compared with 800,000 last year, also a 6% share. Sunday night's coverage of the ceremony, hosted by Lenny Henry, competed with Match of the Day on BBC1.
Farewell - Ronnie Carroll, a former UK Eurovision contestant who was due to stand in the 2015 general election, has died at the age of 80. Born in Belfast in 1934, his biggest hit was Roses are Red. He represented the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1962 and 1963 with Ring-A-Ding Girl and Say Wonderful Things, finishing fourth both times.
(Jim Evans)
