BBC Make a Musical out of Public Transport

Notorious north east tram service turned into musical.

Tyneside’s version of the London Tube system – the Metro –  is to become a musical. Stations and trains across Tyneside and Wearside will be taken over by singers, dancers and musicians as they record their performances for Tyne and Wear Metro: The Musical.

With the help of the public, the BBC in the North East has commissioned a filmed musical to mark the 30th anniversary of the Tyne and Wear Metro. The musical will feature North East people in Metro stations and on trains telling their stories via music and dance.

“Public participation has been overwhelming – open auditions in Newcastle and Sunderland late last year helped us to find some great talent and I can’t wait to see them all together,” says composer Benjamin Till.

Participants include Newcastle’s Dance City dancers and Ellington Colliery Brass Band.

The premiere will broadcast live on BBC Look North – the half-hour local news bulletin for Cumbria and the North East on February 24th. A radio premiere will air on BBC Newcastle’s Breakfast show the next day.

Broadcasts of the musical will also be shown across the Northern BBC region over the weekend of 26th and 27th February.

BBC Look North airs weeknights at 6.30pm on BBC One North East and Cumbria.