Reviving London’s West End: Social media at play?

Having somehow found myself watching ‘I’d do anything’, a TV show which aims to find the next music theatre stars of Oliver, I realised this canny idea to reinvigorate the West End is built on the same principles which have driven new media growth.

While the reality TV star search shows, and recent PR stunt which saw the new Sound of Music lead play a crossover character in TV soap Hollyoaks, weren’t web based or digital ideas they did bring social media elements into play.

Interactivity, creating a deeper audience engagement, and challenging the traditional process to provide a platform for new talent, are key differentiation points for web based media.

TV is still an extremely powerful medium but Lord Lloyd-Webber* has adapted his ability to appeal to popular culture to innovate, from Broadway to broadcast.

*I’m aware ideas like this are usually collaborative rather than solely attributable to an individual but nevertheless think his willingness to even try it shows great understanding of the opps where it might otherwise have been seen as too risky.