The rest would have to be culled during the most notorious five days in any Idols competition: Theatre Week at Sun City, also known as 'Hell Week' as its grueling reputation precedes it.

The Season 7 Theatre Week started off with a bang – upon arrival at the Extravaganza Theatre in Sun City the 98 potential Idols were immediately split into two groups – a new development that confused and worried them. When Idols judges, Randall, Unathi and Gareth, showed up, Randall explained: the contestants in one group had all received four yesses in their auditions and could take the day off and go and enjoy the pleasures of Sun City! The other group would go straight into another audition to earn their place in Theatre Week.

Helping the Idols judges make this all-important call was a legend of the South African record business: Benjy Mudie, an A&ampampR consultant for Universal Records SA, the label that will record and distribute the next South African Idol’s album.

“I’m looking for somebody that is different, someone who really makes my soul come alive,” Benjy said before taking his place next to Unathi.

For the first round of Theatre Week auditions each of the contestants sang á capella with a mic, in groups of six. One by one the groups faced the judges to hear their destiny. And one by one 35 Idols hopefuls had their dreams shattered as they were summarily dismissed.

But the celebration for those who survived was short-lived, because that very evening they were reunited with that morning’s “saved” group to face one of Theatre Week’s most infamous challenges: Groups!

The contestants had to divide themselves into groups, select a song from the songlist provided, work out their own harmonies and their own choreography, and rehearse, rehearse, rehearse through the night to perform for the judges the next day. And just in case they thought that sounded easy, each group had to include contestants from the group that had immunity that day, as well as the group that didn’t!

As always the rigours of Theatre Week took its toll on everybody, but none more so than 22-year-old Phillip du Plessis from Durban, who fell out at exactly this stage last season and remembers that as “the worst experience of his life”. As he and Cape Town’s Mark Haze and Christopher Lee from Johannesburg launched into the Queen hit, Fat Bottomed Girls, nerves got the better of Philip and he abruptly walked off the stage, clearly distressed.

But Benjy Mudie was not sympathetic. “You never, ever just walk off stage and drop your homies in the dwang!” he lectured angrily. Fortunately Philip managed to compose himself and second time lucky: in the end their performance became one of the highlights of one of the hardest days of the contestants’ lives.

And then it was crunch time: 61 contestants waited anxiously as the judges deliberated and debated and argued. “My heart is beating between my ears,” Unitahi complained to her fellow judges. “How do we break these kids’ dreams?”

The contestants were divided into four rooms … Two rooms would survive to compete again the next day. But for the contestants in the other two rooms, this would be the end …

But more on that next week …

Idols Season 7 is broadcast on M-Net and Mzansi Magic at 17:30 every Sunday, and dedicated fans can catch 24/7 Idols coverage on DStv channel 199 with full coverage of every audition from across the country, as well as exclusive contestant interviews.

Get all the lowdown on Idols Season 7 and vote for your Wooden Mic winner at the official Idols Facebook page at 'Idols South Africa', on Twitter @IdolsSA and on the official Idols Season 7 website at www.mnet.co.za/idols.