Carmen singer heads for stardom

Jude Kelly, the award-winning director and artistic chief of the Southbank Centre, thought she'd never find a singer to play the lead role in Carmen Jones.

Then in walked Tsakane Valentine.

"Tsakane came to an audition and suddenly let out this brilliant mezzo soprano voice," Jude recalled.

"She has personality and astonishing looks: curves, a huge mane of long hair, great face, all the ingredients of a star.

"I knew we had our Carmen," said Jude, who's certain Tsakane is destined for stardom.

Tsakane (she's gone back to using her real surname, Maswanganyi, since winning this role) sang with opera group Amici.

She will join Rodney Clarke, as boxer Husky Miller, and Andrew Clarke, as Joe the soldier.

Brenda Edwards, a singer from The X Factor, plays Cindy Lou, who gets to sing the famous Beat Out Dat Rhythm On A Drum.

As Jude noted, the Carmen Jones score - an update of the Bizet opera by Oscar Hammerstein II - is one of the most popular of all time.

More than 400 people auditioned for the main roles, and Jude sees the production, which runs for six weeks from July 25, as a great opportunity to use some of the legion of this country's talented black actors and singers.

The production also gives Jude a chance to involve both the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the Philharmonia.

The orchestras will alternate during the run.

"There'll be nearly 90 musicians in the pit every night," Jude told me with infectious enthusiasm.

The show will light up the Southbank Centre, which boasts performance auditoria, shops and restaurants.

On Monday, the centre re-opens with a mammoth gala, but for me the real party begins when Carmen struts back into town.