Gala Photos: Stars Help Royal Court Raise £100k

More than £100,000 was raised for the Royal Court at a star-studded charity gala held last night to celebrate the theatre’s 50th anniversary (See News, 26 Apr 2006).

Our Whatsonstage.com photographer was on hand at the black-tie event at Soho nightclub 81 Brewer Street where other guests included actors Rosamund Pike, Tamzin Outhwaite, Brian Cox, Sinead Cusack, Max Irons, Richard E Grant, Rufus Sewell, Richard Wilson, Juliet Stevenson, Glynis Barber, Alex Kingston, Megan Dodds, David Tennant, Juliet Stevenson, Helen McCrory, Alex Kingston, Christian Slater, Sophie Okenodo, Richard E Grant and Siobhan Hewlett as well as DJ Neil Fox, Michelin-starred chef Tom Aikens and socialites Lady Helen Taylor and Amber Nuttall.

Following a champagne reception, 375 invited guests sat down to a gourmet meal with entertainment including Daniel Evans singing “Mack the Knife”, Richard O’Brien singing “Time Warp” and actors roving around the tables performing improvised work reflecting the Royal Court history.

Lord Harry Dalmeny of Sotheby’s conducted a public auction with donated bids included tickets to Armani’s Paris fashion show with first-class travel on Eurostar, a leatherbound guest book signed by celebrity visitors to the Royal Court this year and a meal with Rosamund Pike at the Wolseley (which went for £8,000). A second ‘silent’ auction was run using plasma screens and Blackberrys handed out to each guest. The dinner was followed by dancing.

The evening was sponsored by Vanity Fair, Armani, Smythsons of Bond Street, Dom Perignon (which provided free champagne all night) and jewellers Links of London (which presented all guests with silver charms in the shape of a Royal Court playtext).

– by Terri Paddock

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