When the curtains open on stage at the Fry Club on Saturday night, the entrants in the fifth heat of Search for a Star are planning on putting on a good show.

One of the contestants is a newly-retired builder who has only recently taken up singing.

Brian Dimery, 64, from Saltford, said: "I have always got up at Christmas to sing a song or two, and when I retired I decided I wanted something to do with my time.

"So I started doing more karaoke and got myself some mixing software and a microphone.

"Then I had some singing lessons and my tutor told me to give this a go."

He will be singing Penny Arcade by Roy Orbison and Elvis' My Boy.

"I do feel a bit of trepidation, but I'm looking forward to it," he said.

Kristina Lewis, from Weston-super-Mare, is studying musical theatre at Weston College.

She is planning on singing Soon as I get Home from the musical The Wiz but has not yet settled on her second song.

The 18-year-old said: "I would love to make a career out of singing on stage, and I am really looking forward to the competition. I'm really excited, because I have never done it before."

Also taking part on Saturday night will be the funky rock band Retrostate, who have played gigs at venues across Bristol including the Louisiana and the Croft.

The band is made up of 18-year-old pupils from John Cabot Academy, Hauke Moxon-Riedlin, from Downend, Will Mulligan, from Filton, and Matt Horgan, from Stoke Gifford.

They will be playing their own versions of Estelle's American Boy and Outkast's Hey Ya.

Hauke said: "We are looking forward to it – we have a great time playing together as a band."

Tradena Hunt, 14, from Longwell Green, will be taking part in the competition for the first time after two years in the Junior Search for a Star competition.

She is no stranger to the stage at the Fry Club as she also does the club's pantomime.

She will be singing Duffy's Warwick Avenue and Can't Fight the Moonlight by Leann Rimes.

She said: "I am looking forward to it – I'm going to enjoy it no matter what happens."

William Hardiman, 17, from Backwell is taking part in the competition for the first time.

The Backwell Comprehensive pupil is also preparing for the regional finals of the competition Live and Unsigned next month.

William will be singing and playing guitar, performing one of his own songs called Bridge Valley Road and a cover of a Ray Charles song.

He said: "I love music – so I take any opportunity like this.

"I am getting a CD together and hoping to spend most of my gap year pursuing my music."

Sarah Lane, 14, from Knowle, will be singing Celine Dion's version of I Drove all Night and Run by Leona Lewis.

She has taken part in the junior competition before and came third.

Sarah, who is a pupil at St Bernadette School, said: "I can't wait – I love being on stage.

"I would love to be a singer or dancer when I am older."

Tom Pepper, 21, from Coombe Dingle, works as a bar tender in the Harbourside venue the Living Room.

He said: "I have never done the competition before but I have done lots of gigs and singing in Bristol and London.

"I am going to be singing a cover of the Spiderman theme by Michael Buble and a cover of Kiki Dee's Amoreuse."

He is working with a producer to put together a promo CD.

Emma Ahmed, 28, a pharmacy dispenser from Easton, has only just moved to Bristol from Birmingham with her fiance.

She will be singing No One by Alicia Keys and Think Twice by Celine Dion.

Emma said: "I am looking forward to it – and I'm feeling quite confident and excited."

Another singer, who likes to be known only as Charley, has recently returned from training in Majorca to be a singing and dancing entertainment rep.

Charley, 24, from St George, will be singing All Night Long by Lionel Richie and another song she has not chosen yet.

She said: "I got through to the finals in last year's competition so I thought it was worth another go."

Mark Stacey, 25, from Whitchurch, made it as far as the competition's semi-finals a few years ago.

Mark, who manages a plumbing company as well as working as an entertainer on the pub and club circuit, will be singing Rod Stewart's Sailing and another song he has not chosen yet.

He said: "I can't wait – it will be a good night."

Phillip Northmore, 24, from Eastville, will be doing a hip hop dance routine tomorrow night after his backing track failed in the third heat.

Phillip, who works as a glass collector in city centre nightclub Syndicate, had never entered the competition before but was keen to give it a go.

Hannah Berney, 18, from Chepstow, finished second in last year's competition but had to pull out of the third heat a couple of weeks ago.

She is having another go tomorrow night, and hopes to win some money to fund her gap year travels.

Also taking part will be singer Terry Owen, who the Post was unable to contact this week.

The final heat will take place at 7.15pm at the Fry Club, Somerdale, on Sunday, March 29.

There will be three semi-finals before the final on May 17.

The first prize is £1,000, the second prize is £500, and third-place prize money is £250 and the fourth placed performer will receive £150.

Cost of admission to watch the heats is £3 for adults and £1 for under-18s.