With a sinking heart I have noticed the trailers for competing shows ANY DREAM WILL DO on the BBC and GREASE IS THE WORD on ITV.

As you can guess the first is to find a 'Joseph' for an upcoming revival of you know what and the second is upping the ante in locating both 'Danny' and 'Sandy' for the production due to open at the Piccadilly Theatre in July.

All this on the back of the news last week that Connie Fisher - The People's Maria - is now utilising a click-track to 'augment' her vocals after shagging her vocal chords attempting to sing with a throat infection.

Does the West End REALLY need these two shows revived again? Or is it that these musicals are perfect for the bozoids who will be watching these?

On a better note...Two nights ago Vanessa Redgrave opened on Broadway to excellent personal reviews in a one-woman show THE YEAR OF WISHFUL THINKING written by Joan Didion adapting her best-selling memoir. Vanessa is looking great and was supported on her opening night by sister Lynn, daughter Joely, son Carlo, neice Daisy and among the star-studded audience was her activist friend and co-star Jane Fonda.

I would dearly love to see this - especially as HECUBA, the last production I saw her in was so woeful. Her last appearance on Broadway with Brian Dennehy in LONG DAYS JOURNEY INTO NIGHT never made it to the West End despite them both winning Tony Awards.

I am praying this will transfer... providing there is a theatre not occupied by cynically-revived crap musicals.