Spotlight on . . .

YOU wouldn’t believe the random items and emails that arrive on the desk of an entertainment editor. In Spotlight on... I’ll highlight the ones that might otherwise slip under the radar, have some cult value or simply just be worth mentioning again. This week ...

EDINBURGH’S GOT TALENT

A TOP 11. Strange but true. Yes, as the Grand Final of Edinburgh’s Got Talent 2011 fast approaches, the best acts were so closely grouped that the planned Top 10 had to be increased by one when there was a tie for tenth place - Caitlyn Vanbeck and Ross Arthur both polled 1593 votes.

Tomorrow night at the Edinburgh Playhouse they will be joined by the other nine finalists, previous winners and a very special guest.

The Top 11 is completed by singers Darren Gilbertson, Rebecca Traynor, Erin Henderson, Sophie Ternent, Ashley Anderson and Nicole Syme, dance troupe Hustle and performers from the Edinburgh and Morningside Dance Academies.

The evening will begin with Louise Marshall Millington, ‘Edinburgh’s gorgeous lady piper’ and Pulse Of The Place samba drummers. Dancing to their rousing opener will be 2010 Edinburgh’s Got Talent finalists Dunedin Dance Academy.

Also performing will be 2010 winner, Gavin Blackie, who will treat the audience to his new single and a reprise of his winning song, Human, made famous by The Killers.

Another highlight of the evening will be a special guest performance by Gamu Nhengu, who became known as the girl with the red flower in her hair and wowed thousands with her soulful voice on The X Factor.

It will be the 19-year-old Zimbabwean’s first public performance of material from her debut album, which is set to be released later in the year.

Nenghu will be entertaining the audience while the judges confer and hopes she can inspire the finalists to follow their dreams.

“It’s a massive honour to be performing at the final of Edinburgh’s Got Talent and to support other people who are in the position that I have been in,” she says.

“When you have been in this type of situation and you’re in a position to help in any way you can, you should do it. I’m really looking forward to debuting the new stuff and seeing the reaction of everybody in Edinburgh. It will be a great show.”

Presenting the evening for the third year running will be Forth One Breakfast Show co-host Arlene Stuart, whose career began as a newsreader on Grampian TV before she went on to present the popular Saturday Morning children’s television programme Wemyss Bay 902101. Remember that?

Joining yours truly on the judging panel are three familiar faces, Radio Forth’s Richie Jeffrey; Boogie, Forth One’s Breakfast Show host; and the Evening News’ very own promotions manager Deborah Welsh, who tells me she once toured with American soul star Michael Bolton.

For those of you who can’t wait, here’s a sneak preview of tomorrow’s running order as I exclusively reveal which song each of the finalists will be performing:

Darren Gilbertson - Red by Daniel Meriwether.

Hustle - Dance routine to Moves Like Jagger by Maroon 5.

Erin Henderson - Someone Like You by Adele.

Rebecca Traynor - Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again, from Phantom of the Opera.

Ashley Anderson - Russian Roulette by Rihanna.

Morningside Dance Academy - Pirates Of The Caribbean dance routine.

Caitlin Vanbeck - Don’t You Remember by Adele.

Stephanie Ternent - Hallelujah by Alexandra Burke.

Nicole Syme - Defying Gravity from Wicked!

Ross Arthur - Pretty Girl his own composition.

Edinburgh Dance Academy - Dance routine to Jai Ho, from Slumdog Millionaire.

Good luck to each and everyone. Of course, the evening wouldn’t be complete without you, so if you haven’t got your ticket yet... you know what to do.

Edinburgh’s Got Talent 2011, Edinburgh Playhouse, Greenside Place, tomorrow, 7.30pm, £13.50-£19.50, 0844-871 3014

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