Fans queue with watermelons for Dirty Dancing tickets

In celebration of National Watermelon today, over 100 Dirty Dancing fans queued outside London’s Aldwych Theatre for the chance to win tickets to see the hit west end musical tonight.

Fans travelled from as far as Birmingham and Exeter carrying their Watermelons and queued up from 11:30pm last night to get their hands on a pair of tickets. To keep people entertained, Melon Man (aka David Loh) was on hand to carve Watermelons with Dirty Dancing logos and other intricate designs.

It’s a moment over 1 million audience members have keenly anticipated since the show opened in London’s West End; Frances 'Baby' Houseman awkwardly exclaiming “I carried a watermelon?!” when she first encounters sexy dance teacher Johnny Castle. This first meeting at a steamy staff-only dance party is just the beginning as it leads Baby behind the scenes at Kellerman’s holiday resort into a passionate love affair and a challenge that will change her life forever.

National Watermelon Day was designed to raise awareness of the extensive health benefits of watermelon, a healthy ‘superfood’ which scientists claim can help fight cancer. National Watermelon Day is already a firm fixture in America’s fruit festival calendar with many states organising activities in celebration of this big fruit.

UK supermarket giant Tesco have teamed up with Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story On Stage to celebrate National Watermelon Day on Tuesday 4 August by offering lucky shoppers the chance win a holiday of a lifetime to North Carolina USA, plus tickets to see the hit West End production at London’s Aldwych Theatre!

From Monday 27 July, Tesco supermarkets across the UK have been selling specially stickered watermelons with details on how to enter this incredible competition. On Tuesday 4 August, the first 100 people to arrive at the Aldwych Theatre before 10am with their Tesco watermelon (with proof of purchase) and recreate the classic line uttered by Frances ‘Baby’ Houseman - ‘I carried a watermelon?!’ - will receive 2 tickets for that night’s performance.

Tesco and Dirty Dancing are also running a nationwide competition to win an unforgettable holiday for two to the original Dirty Dancing movie location in North Carolina. In partnership with North Carolina Tourism we’re giving you the chance to win an unforgettable holiday to the original “Dirty Dancing” movie setting. This dream holiday for two includes return economy flights, car hire and six nights in art deco city Asheville, in the heart of the mountains of North Carolina.

The prize also includes four tickets to see the London production of Dirty Dancing at the Aldwych Theatre, including a pre show dinner for four and an overnight stay at a 4* hotel in London.

50 runners-up will each win a pair of tickets to see Dirty Dancing at the Aldwych theatre.

Details on how to enter can be found online at DirtyDancingLondon.com.

For more information on National Watermelon Day – including history, general info, facts and figures and recipes, visit watermelonday.co.uk.