It must be the first time in the history of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel that the actress playing Nettie Fowler has top, above-the-title, billing. True she gets to sing "June is Bustin' Out All Over" and 'the football song', "You'll Never Walk Alone", but it's a tiny supporting role. Then again, folks, it is Lesley Garrett, ' the nation's favourite soprano', that we are talking about here and in these celebrity obsessed times is it really surprising that her name is writ larger than the authors themselves? Still, at least she's turning out for eight shows a week with no alternate this time around and that in itself is proving to be the exception rather than the rule these days. Time was when it would have been inconceivable for the star of any show to do less than the full eight shows. The star and the public wouldn't have stood for it. Some roles are especially taxing, we are told. Tell that to Patti LuPone who is playing Mama Rose in Gypsy eight times a week on Broadway right now. There is no more taxing role in the repertoire - and I think she's missed one performance in a year. They don't make 'em like that any more.

So with that in mind I wonder how the great British public feel about the announcement that their choice for the role of Nancy in Cameron Mackintosh's revival of Lionel Bart's Oliver! - Jodie Prenger - won't be doing Wednesday and Thursday evenings? They've already announced, too, that Rowan Atkinson, the star of the show, will be taking a holiday less than three months after the official opening. These days there's a lot of homework to be done before you book tickets.

And Carousel (now playing at the Savoy)? A pretty average out-of-town show - though graced with a touching performance from Alexandra Silber as Julie Jordan. The show, and arguably the most achingly beautiful score ever written for the Broadway stage, carries you along - but the West End deserves, indeed should demand, better. Interesting that it took a subsidised theatre - the National - to do it proud last time around.