Love Never Dies World Exclusive for The South Bank Show Awards

The South Bank Show Awards are delighted to announce a world exclusive premiere, with the first public performance of the title song from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s long anticipated new show _Love Never Dies_ sung by its star Sierra Boggess and accompanied by Andrew and Louise Hunt on two grand pianos. _Love Never Dies_ will open at the Adelphi Theatre in March. _Love Never Dies_ continues the story of ‘The Phantom’, who has moved from his lair in the Paris Opera House to haunt the fairgrounds of Coney Island.

Melvyn Bragg will host the final South Bank Show Awards taking place on Tuesday 26 January 2010, in front of a star studded audience at The Dorchester, London.

Andrew Lloyd Webber says: “I am absolutely delighted to be able to accompany my new Christine as she gives the very first performance of ‘Love Never Dies’, at the last ever South Bank Show Awards. No television show in the last half century has done more for the arts than The South Bank Show and we are very much looking forward to being part of this final ceremony.”

Melvyn Bragg says: “I could not be more pleased that Andrew has chosen to bring the world premiere of ‘Love Never Dies’ to The South Bank Show Awards. A track from his _Variations_ has been our signature tune from the start. It inspired the only television titles to win a Prix Italia. The films we’ve made with him over the 30 years have chartered a unique and phenomenal career in music theatre. It is just great that having been in at the beginning he is helping us to bring the curtain down”.

Also performing will be Julian Lloyd Webber and his band, who will play the iconic South Bank Show theme: Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Variations: Paganini Caprice in A minor No. 24, and also Variation No. 23.

The stellar audience will be treated to a musical feast with these performances. Attendees include: Sir David Attenborough, Rachel Weisz , Diversity, Dominic West, Tracey Emin, Ronnie Wood, Mika, Anish Kapoor, Fearne Cotton, Emilia Fox, Rob Brydon, Ken Russell, Jarvis Cocker, Suranne Jones, Jacqueline Wilson, Rolando Villazon, Lesley Garrett, Twiggy, Sir David Frost, Ronnie Corbett, Will Young, Vic Reeves, Mariella Frostrup, Michael McIntyre, Sir Ian McKellen and Sean Bean,

The South Bank Show Awards will be broadcast on ITV1 on Sunday 31 January.

These unique awards celebrate the best of British talent across the arts including: Classical Music, Comedy, Dance, Film, Literature, Opera, Pop, Theatre, TV Drama and Visual Arts. The ballroom will be filled with glittering talent from across this spectrum to celebrate their strength of artistic achievement.

_Image shows Andrew with Sierra Boggess and Phantom Ramin Karimloo at the Love Never Dies press launch_.