I’m a bit of a Johnny-come-lately to James Corden. I never watched his Gavin and Stacey sitcom and only saw his Smithy character through Comic Relief sketches, which I thought mildly amusing. But oh boy is he a supremely talented performer. For the past year and a bit he’s been hosting a late night talk show in the US and he has smashed it with hilarious skits, good interviews and Carpool Karaoke where he drives around with a singer or group and they sing and chat. This segment has also become a YouTube phenomenon.
It is a perfect vehicle (weak pun intended) for his quick wit and singing. These skills and more were on display when he hosted the annual Tony Awards in New York on Sunday. His 8-minute opening number was a tour de force in which he blitzed through the history of musical theatre briefly performing roles from Annie, Cats, Grease, Les Miserables and more.
Corden is one of our best entertainment exports for years and is currently taking America by storm. It’s surely only a matter of time before he becomes one of its biggest stars.
