Students delighted with £10,000 Children in Need fundraiser
MUSICAL theatre students from the University of Chichester have spoken of their delight after performing in a charity event which raised thousands of pounds for Children in Need.
The show, held in October for the 110-year anniversary of the Kings Theatre in Portsmouth, received nearly £10,000 in donations for the national foundation, which supports young people with disabilities. The University performers worked in collaboration with the venue in Southsea and the Academy of Musical Theatre to present the fundraiser with all proceeds going to the charity.
George Groom, a second-year BA (Hons) Musical Theatre Performance student, said performing in the Edwardian theatre was an incredible experience. He added: “I never imagined I would even come close to standing on such a stage during my training at Chichester, but this production completely changed that.
“Prior to the event, the largest theatre I had performed in had a capacity of 200 seats, so going from that to the Kings Theatre, which is five-times bigger, totally blew me away. I will never forget this experience and I would like to thank the University for allowing me the opportunity to take to the stage for such an important and worthwhile cause.”
The Children in Need fundraiser (above), which is to broadcast on BBC One on Friday 17 November, has raised more than £600million since the telecast was first shown in 1980. The event in Portsmouth was directed and co-produced by senior lecturer Andrew Wright, programme leader for Musical Theatre Performance at Chichester, alongside undergraduate Danika Gawronski, who acted as assistant director.
The third-year student, who currently studies BA (Hons) Musical Theatre and Arts Development, said: “Being assistant director for this event has been incredibly inspiring. Not only was I lucky enough to learn new skills in creating theatre and directing a project of this magnitude, but I had the opportunity to showcase my choreographic work too.
“Andrew has been so giving with his time and has taught me so much of his expertise as a producer and director that I feel confident to pursue this as a career path. I’m so very grateful for this wonderful opportunity.”
The three-hour performance also included the King’s Youth Theatre alongside the Academy of Musical Theatre, Portsmouth Players, and the South Downe Musical Society. Speaking of the fundraiser, Mr Wright added: “I am so incredibly proud of my students for the hours of hard work they put in, they are a credit to themselves and also to the University.
“The performance was, without a doubt, a wonderfully successful event. It was the result of many individuals and organisations offering their time, effort, expertise, and talent to allow this remarkable evening to come to fruition.
“The immediate critical response I received from audience members, as they were leaving the auditorium, was that they were bowled over by the professional quality of the performance and the evening as a whole. I am so very grateful to everyone who made this anniversary charity event possible and am delighted that we are able to donate such a large sum of money to Children in Need.”
To find out more about the charity event go to www.kingsportsmouth.co.uk. Alternatively for more about Musical Theatre at the University of Chichester go to www.chi.ac.uk/music.
