Cameron Mackintosh and the Glastonbury Festival’s founder Michael Eavis have lent their support to special fundraising concert amid the ruins of Glastonbury Abbey later this month.
The brainchild of West End choreographer and director Andrew Wright, One Enchanted Evening on 30 August 2020 will feature professional theatre and music talent from across the county of Somerset.
Unveiling details of the project, Wright who hails from the village of Street in Somerset (home of the Clarks Shoes family) said: “2020 has seen an unprecedented situation in the history of theatre, leading to nearly all creative industries across the globe being shut down. As a country we have lost a world-renowned asset.
“Audiences have been deprived in a way that none of them have known before. Musical theatre can lift spirits, and we want to prove that with only a few weeks and dedication from performers who are itching to get back on stage, we can provide an amazing night of music and dance.
“While the government’s support has been welcomed, its advice on when the arts can restart has been slow to come, and we want to prove that if we can’t perform inside, we’ll take it outside to the masses instead, and what better place to do it than one of the most historic locations in the town that gave the world’s most famous music festival its name.
“Many might consider Somerset a sleepy, tucked away county in the south west, but we pack a punch when it comes to the arts. Whether it’s music, live performance or the creative arts, Somerset should be firmly placed on the map of places to come to see some of the UK’s the best talent.”
Commenting on the concert, Mackintosh who is allowing the event to use music from his shows free of charge said: “Some of Somerset’s finest talents are going to hit the heights with a spectacular musical evening to celebrate how much we are missing live musical theatre – featuring some of the greatest show-stopping numbers of recent times.
“Rest assured your favourite musicals will be back as soon as the government says the shows can go on in their full glory. Meanwhile, Let the People Sing.”
Eavis, the driving force behind one of the world’s most famous music festivals, the Glastonbury Festival added: “Our 50th anniversary Glastonbury Festival was postponed this year due to the Coronavirus and the annual Glastonbury Abbey Extravaganza also had to be cancelled after a run of 22 years. So it’s so marvellous that Janet Bell, the director of at the Abbey, has been able to gain the support of Cameron Mackintosh and Andrew Wright from the theatre world to help put on a wonderful selection of songs from his shows as well as many others. What a treat for what we’re calling One Enchanted Evening in the most romantic of settings.”
Raising funds for groups and organisations which have supported local communities through the pandemic including the NHS, One Enchanted Evening will feature a line-up of local talent that includes: Yeovil’s Evelyn Hoskins (Waitress, Cruel Intentions: The Musical); Wells’ Jess Michelmore (BBC Prom’s West Side Story, Magic at the Musicals); Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’s Jacob Fisher (Weston-super-Mare); Bridgewater actor/musician Tim Bonser (Cliff Richard 75th birthday tour); Yatton’s Kody Mortimer (due to appear in Hairspray at the London Coliseum); Harry Winchester from Bridgwater (Peter Pan, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre); and Glastonbury’s Joanna Woodward (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical).
Local people and organisations are offering their products and services free of charge to ensure as much money as possible can be raised for good causes from the event which will be staged in adherence to Government guidelines.
Revealing he had received over 600 messages from performers wanting to be involved, Wright said: “This night isn’t just about the performers, it’s about everybody who has generously offered their time, skills and services to get this show up and running. It’s amazing what we have already achieved within just a few weeks, and we still have a month to go until the big night. This show will truly be a Somerset show, for the people of the county to thank those in Somerset who have worked so hard to keep us safe and well through the months of lockdown and into the future.”
The limited number of tickets cost £25 each, and are being sold online via Glastonbury Abbey at www.glastonburyabbey.com.
Anyone without internet access can buy tickets at Glastonbury Information Centre, which is open every day between 10am and 3pm in St Dunstan’s House, Magdalene Street, Glastonbury.
Once minimal costs are subtracted, all proceeds from ticket sales are being shared between local good causes: League of Friends at Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton and Friends of Yeovil District Hospital (both hospitals treated Covid-19 patients) and Somerset Community Foundation which has handed out funding to charities and foodbanks.
Angela Thomas
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