Catherine Tyldesley leads all star cast in new online play raising funds for theatre charities

Catherine Tyldesley is to write and star in a new online play alongside a host of TV legends.

The Ceremony will stream online from 13 December with proceeds going to a trio of theatre charities.

Alongside Tyldesley the piece will feature an all star cast of British Television legends: Paula Lane (Coronation Street), Jodie Prenger (winner of the BBC’s I’d Do Anything, West End leading lady), Stephen Rahman-Hughes (Emmerdale, Eastenders), Samantha Giles (Emmerdale, Where The Heart Is), Sue Johnston (The Royle Family, Brookside, Coronation Street). Directed by Lee Salisbury (Eastenders, Coronation Street, Emmerdale).

Filmed on an empty stage at the Leeds City Varieties Music Hall, The Ceremony is produced in association with stream.theatre and is being broadcast online for 10 performances only, starting from Sunday 13th December. Tickets to watch the production online and at-home can be purchased from www.stream.theatre.

All proceeds from this production will be donated to Acting for Others, Theatre Artists Fund & Leeds Heritage Theatres. Acting for Others and Theatre Artists Fund have been relentlessly supporting the UK’s Arts Industry during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. During 2020, like so many others, Leeds Heritage Theatres has been forced to temporarily close their doors this year having entertained the masses for 400 years.

Catherine Tyldesley said: “I’m super excited about my first play going into production! I wrote ‘The Ceremony’ during lockdown. I’ve managed to assemble my dream cast along with one of my all-time favourite directors, the brilliant Lee Salisbury.

“Writing has always been close to my heart and to finally see my words brought to life by such incredible talent, is nothing short of a dream come true.

“I’m hopeful people will love the play as much as we do and I’m thrilled we can raise money for the arts at the same time.”

A synopsis of the play shares:

Donna Dium, Life Coach and Self-taught Shamaness, together with her long suffering assistant Ada, prepares to welcome you to a very special occasion – The Ceremony.

Canal Street. Manchester.

Following a string of appearances on daytime chat shows and armed with fifty quid’s worth of Ayahuasca from Bury Market, the scene is set for Donna to make her first ever attempt to contact the spirit world.. What could possibly go wrong?

The evening soon derails into chaos, tears and laughter, as her oblivious guests purge themselves of their hidden ghosts.