West End stars will feature in two fundraising online concert premieres as part of theatre discovery platform Thespie’s month-long celebration of Black and LGBT+ theatre artists.
With proceeds going to LGBT+ charity Stonewall, Break Free will feature LGBT+ theatre artists sharing their personal stories and performing the musical theatre and pop songs that have inspired them.
The line-up for the concert which will premiere on 19 February at 8pm GMT (3pm EST/12pm PST) includes Natasha Agnew, Paul Baker, Allie Daniel, Eloise Davies, Andrew Derbyshire, Nick Hayes, Mark Inscoe, Eleanor Kane, Millie O’Connell, Alex Thomas-Smith, Courtney Stapleton, La Voix, Andrew Patrick-Walker, Shona White, Layton Williams and Charlotte Yorke.
Celebrating Black musical theatre writers and composers from the early 2oth century onwards, The Road To Prominence will feature performances and interviews with leading UK theatre performers. The filmed concert is directed by Dominic Powell whose musical Cases is among the work featured in the show alongside shows including The Wiz, The Color Purple and Ain’t Misbehavin’.
Featuring a cast that includes Zoe Birkett, Adrian Hansel, Waylon Jacobs, Aisha Jawando, Bobby Little, Maiya Quansah-Breed, Alex Thomas-Smith and Andrew Patrick-Walker, proceeds will go to Black Lives Matter UK. The concert will premiere on 26 February at 8pm GMT (3pm EST/12pm PST).
Both concerts will be available to stream on-demand following their premieres and purchasers will have 72 hours to view.
The concerts are among eight new online theatre and arts events announced for this month and highlighting the work of Black and LGBT+ theatre artists. The programme also includes the In The Room series of free artist talks which aim to put the spotlight on the creative process and feature performers and theatre professionals. With more to be announced, The Road To Prominence director Powell will feature in conversation with cast members from the hit Leicester Curve production of The Color Purple on 10 February.
Also free to view is the informal chat series Thespie Thursdays with Millie O’Connell featuring on 11 February, Genesis Lynea on 18 February and Melanie La Barrie on 25 February.
Thespie launched in May 2020 as a platform to keep people connected to theatre and the arts. The platform now offers nearly 400 productions to stream free of charge, along with listings, audio, eBooks and educational resources.
Thespie’s first original production, The Reunion, was one of the best-selling paid theatre streaming events in the UK in 2020, selling tickets to 3,600 households across 65 countries, and employing 35 live entertainment workers who received over £30,000 in income from the event.
Angela Thomas
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