Theatre News

1000 Voices celebrate ‘Best of British’ with Bonneville

The Night of 1000 Voices returns to Royal Albert Hall on 6 May 2012 with a “Best of British” evening celebrating the year of the Olympic Games and Diamond Jubilee.

The event, which has been held annually in the Royal Albert Hall for over a decade in aid of Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research, will this year be hosted by Downton Abbey star Hugh Bonneville.

Having previously celebrated the Broadway Musical, Cy Coleman, Stephen Sondheim, Tim Rice, Kander & Ebb and Trevor Nunn, The Night of 1000 Voices will this year centre around the theme of “Best of British” and include some of the most requested songs from Evita, The Lion King, Jesus Christ Superstar, Les Miserables and Miss Saigon.

The 1000 Voices choir, along with the City of London Philharmonic Orchestra, accompany West End stars: Ricardo Afonso, Daniel Boys, Bonnie Langford, Peter Polycarpou, Clive Rowe, Caroline Sheen, Sally Ann Triplett and 2012 Whatsonstage.com Award Best Solo Performance winner Kerry Ellis.

Newly announced additions to the cast include Chloe Hart (Wicked and Hairspray), Matt Wycliffe (Jersey Boys), Brent Barrett (Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular), Debbie Kurup (Chicago), Lee Ormsby (The Phantom of the Opera tour) and Ian Knauer (By Jeeves on Broadway).

Produced and directed by Hugh Wooldridge, The Night of 1000 Voices raised over £140,000 in 2010 for Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research who are seeking to raise over £100 million over the next five years.

Two concerts have been scheduled for the 6 May 2012 with performances at 4 and 8pm. Musical supervision is again provided by Stuart Morley and David Firman, who return to the event for another year.

– McKenzie Kramer