The Stage

Chit chat - Eurovision to behold

Published Tuesday 18 November 2008 at 13:00 by Tabard

But, if those are a little strange, frankly they’re not a patch on Tabard’s final tit-bit for the week.

We’ll forgive you if you need to read this back a few times to make sure you’ve understood it correctly.

Andrew Lloyd Webber has had a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to discuss the Eurovision Song Contest.

According to ALW’s own website: “The two men met at Prime Minister Putin’s dacha. They spoke for nearly an hour about a wide range of serious matters, including Russia’s relationship with Europe, its relationship with the UK, as well as the Eurovision Song Contest.”

Lloyd Webber is, of course, writing the UK’s entry this year and is apparently confident that Putin will be calling in a vote in favour of his song.

Elaine Bedell, BBC controller of entertainment commissioning said (we’re not making this up): “This was an historic meeting - Andrew Lloyd Webber meets Prime Minster Putin - to discuss the UK’s prospects in Eurovision.”

One does have to wonder, though, what Putin got out of the meeting.

For a man who is renowned for attempting to portray a public image which embodies the macho Soviet ideals of masculine power, aggression and physical prowess, one wouldn’t have thought that musical theatre - or indeed Eurovision - would be particularly high up his list of approved pursuits.