West End stars to perform at #CheerUpCharlie fundraising concert
West End stars will perform in a fundraising theatrical gala at The Actor’s Church this autumn.
Anti-bullying campaigner and chat show presenter Charlie Kristensen’s #CheerUpCharlie event will play place at the Covent Garden venue on 31 October at 7:30PM.
Produced by Mark Robert Petty and hosted by Ben Stock and Hilary O’Neil, with Musical Direction by Tom Knowles, the evening will feature an exciting line-up of West End musical performers and a few special surprises from Charlie!
Those on the line up include: Lewis Asquith, Lizzie Bea, Nikki Bentley, Daniel Boys, Kieran Brown, Robin Cousins, Maria Coyne, Ferris & Milnes, Adrian Hansel, Jacqueline Hughes, Sophie Isaacs, Melissa Jacques, Alison Jiear, Gemma Knight Jones, Carolyn Maitland, Nadim Naaman, Sara Poyzer, Oliver Savile, Jon Tarcy, Shona White and Jacinta Whyte as well as Joseph Fletcher and Natasha Volley from DMD+ (Deaf Men Dancing+, founded by Mark Smith), country cross-over duo One Trick Pony, This One’s For You – A Tribute To Elton John (with Dougie Carter, Ben Barrow and Sam Ebenezer), the cast of Rumi: The Musical, mind-reader Matt Daniel-Baker and ventriloquist Max Fulham.
They will be joined by students from ASA Theatre Arts, London School of Musical Theatre, MX Masterclass and The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.
Charlie said: “It is an honour to have so many people involved with the show who have supported me from the very start. There were so many times I felt alone even when I was surrounded by people. I now feel anything but and am so lucky that I can now use my voice to keep growing this platform and doing what I love to raise awareness that we are all accepted for who we truly are.
“I may be just one boy with a small voice, but I have a huge tribe behind me, and I will make a difference. This concert will be a celebration of all that I stand for; kindness, bravery and being able to stand true in the face of adversity. So, join me for a night of fun, laughter and music!”
Profits from ticket sales will be split between two charities close to Charlie’s heart: Acting For Others, which provides financial and emotional support to all theatre workers in times of need through the 14 member charities, and The National Deaf Children’s Society which is the leading charity for deaf children. They support the UK’s 50,000 deaf children and young people and their families, and they are there for every deaf child who needs them – no matter what their level or type of deafness or how they communicate. (Charlie overcame a severe infection, which has left him mainly deaf in his left ear and required 15 operations).
You can book tickets online now from https://actorschurch.ticketsolve.com/shows/873612837
Charlie started his ‘#CheerUpCharlie’ campaign in 2019. Having been bullied severely for over 18 months, in part due to his love of performing, Charlie couldn’t take any more. When he opened up to his performance coach West End actress Jacqueline Hughes, she rallied support from the theatre industry via Twitter.
Hundreds of performers and creatives from the West End, Broadway and even Hollywood identified with Charlie’s story, and inundated him with video messages of support. This led to backstage invitations and national media interviews including BBC Breakfast and Michael Ball’s BBC Radio 2 show.
Charlie then knew he wanted to channel his own traumatic experiences, and use the support he had received, to help him fight for others. He trained as an Ambassador for The Diana Award and in June 2021, he was recognised with the The Diana Award himself – the highest accolade a young person can achieve for social action or humanitarian efforts.
To follow the exciting build-up to #CheerUpCharlie – The Show, follow Charlie on Twitter: @CharlieKristens, Instagram: @cheerupcharlie__, Facebook: @musicalchairswithcheerupcharlie and YouTube @Charlie Kristensen #CheerUpCharlie.
