More than 100 hopefuls turned out today for open auditions to star in the new West End Take That musical.
Dozens of Robbie Williams wannabes, a number of Mark Owens, a handful of Jason Oranges and at least one Gary Barlow queued in Covent Garden for a chance of fame.
Classically trained actor Simon Wegrzyn, 23, who has just finished a run in the RSC's Henry V, was hoping to win over the judges with a Les Misérables number in his bid to land the role of Mark Owen.
Wegrzyn, of Shoreditch, said: "It's a musical number but I'm going do it in a pop style. I'm hoping to stand out in the crowd. It's a fantastic opportunity. Take That's back catalogue is awesome but their new stuff is really credible."
Producers Tristan Baker and Charlie Parsons said they were hoping to find an "undiscovered gem" among the drama students, children's performers and call centre workers who responded to the audition adverts.
Mr Baker said: "They are going to have to be able to sing, act and dance. It's very demanding. We've already seen over 400 professionals with agents. But we need to make sure we look at as many people as possible. We've got time to train them if they have talent but they will need to have some physical resemblance to the band members."
Holiday resort performer Kevin Nash, 28, from South Croydon, said: "I am going to sing a Westlife song. It's a boy band song but I don't think it's a good idea to do a Take That song. I have been performing all sorts of stuff over the last few years so if I got this, this would be my breakthrough."
The Never Forget show, written by Danny Brocklehurst, will open at an unnamed West End theatre this autumn after a UK tour.
Featuring Take That No 1 hits such as Pray, Relight My Fire and Back For Good, it tells the story of five friends who form a tribute band.
Resort singer Leejay Townsend, 26, from Leicester, said he would be performing The Final Countdown by Swedish rockers Europe in order to "present a blank slate to the judges".
He added: "I perform a Robbie Williams tribute show and that always goes down very well, so I've got Angels in reserve if I think things aren't going too well. I think I'm quite similar to Robbie in that I'm very comical and cheeky."
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With a couple of 6ft Mark Owen imitators and a bald Jason Orange at the auditions, few of the hopefuls bore a physical likeness to Take That members.
Australian Daniel Koek, 25, who has just finished touring with the musical Night Fever in the Far East, said he had not known the Take That phenomenon while he was growing up, but he hoped his rendition of Robbie Williams's Angels would see him through to the next round of auditions.
