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Viva Variety

Episode 2: I Wanna Be Like You

Duration: 29 minutes

First broadcast: on BBC One Scotland HDLatest broadcast: on BBC Scotland HD

Available for years

Every weekend more than a thousand performers - from cabaret stars to comedians, magicians to tribute bands - take to Scottish stages to showcase their talents. But what does it really take to survive in one of the toughest and most cut-throat industries? For the first time ever, we're going behind the scenes of the Scottish entertainment industry to reveal what it's really like to perform in 21st-century variety. How do you break into the big time? Can our stars earn a living from it? And is all the struggle worth it? 'Viva Variety' goes backstage to explore the dreams and realities of those who burn to entertain. Welcome to the very real world of variety.

The biggest earners on the Scottish entertainment circuit are the tribute acts - with automatic fan bases, they can pull in the punters and sell out the best venues. There are an astonishing 200 in the country, and in this episode we meet three of Scotland's more unusual and successful tribute acts, as they take on their alter egos in front of their harshest critics, facing the pressure to be as good - or better - than the real thing... Show less

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