Thea gives 'strong performance' in dress rehearsal

Thea Garrett gave what observers described as "a very strong performance" during the first dress rehearsal of the Eurovision Song Contest in Oslo this afternoon.

Journalists at the press centre responded with applause mostly to the songs of Greece, Finland, Estonia, Serbia, Belgium and Malta. Iceland and Belarus also appeared to do well.

Thea, her three backing vocalists and her seagull-dancer were all dressed in white and silver tones. Thea's dress is a more glamorous version of the one she wore in the local contest.

The set is dark until pyrotechnics light things up during the climax of the song, where the seagull emerges from behind Thea - an effect that seems to have been appreciated in the Eurovision circles.

Many commentators at the press centre and online are saying that Malta has a good chance of qualifying to the final. They also pointed out that vocally, Thea has not faltered once.