SIR Terry Wogan IS the Eurovision Song Contest. We find it impossible to imagine the annual celebration of all things kitsch and camp without Terry's wonderfully mischievous commentary.
As he sips a coffee, he explains his deep and abiding connection with the Eurovision Song Contest. "I've always loved it," beams the presenter, who has commentated on the competition since 1973.
"It's a wonderful event. You can decry it for its foolishness, but it's huge all over the world - they lap it up in Australia, for instance. It has a global audience of some 300 million. We adore the competitive element and the voting. But above all in this country we love the Eurovision Song Contest because it's the ideal opportunity to have a jolly good sneer at Johnny Foreigner and throw things at the telly. You can't beat that sort of entertainment!"
So Terry is the perfect person to whip up the crowd into a frenzy of delight at Eurobeat - Almost Eurovision, a new musical sashaying its sequinned way to the Mayflower tonight.
The man known across the continent as the voice of Eurovision will be appearing on a screen at strategic points during the evening.
Terry is delighted to be associated with the show.
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He said: "It's been a tremendous laugh.
"As you enter the theatre for Eurobeat, you're given a country to represent and you can't vote for that nation. Mind you, if you're from Scandinavia or the Balkans, you might take an entirely different view!
"You get a great flavour of the fun and the enthusiasm of the real Eurovision Song Contest. When it goes out on TV, people up and down the country hold parties and hoot at all the contestants. Did you know that last year it got 11 million viewers in the UK?"
The key to relishing the Eurovision Song Contest, says Terry, is taking it with a pinch of salt.
"Most people in this country watch the contest with their tongues very firmly in their cheeks. I've trained them!
"Like the rest of Europe, members of the Eurovision Song Contest Fan Club take it very seriously indeed," he continues.
"They used to get annoyed, but now they see that what I'm doing is good-natured. I don't make the mistake of thinking it's a major musical event! Having said that, in most European countries I still have to go incognito. And if I turned up at a performance of Eurobeat, I'd probably have to wear a paper bag on my head!"
Our deep love of camp means that the contest is always likely to be massively popular in the UK. It has certainly contributed to the enormous success of Eurobeat.
"I love The Eurovision Song Contest, and it will continue long after I'm gone," Terry concludes with a chuckle. "Just please don't ask me to take it seriously!"
Eurobeat - Almost Eurovision runs from tonight until Saturday.
Box office: 023 8071 1811 or visit mayflower.org.uk.
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