Imelda Staunton, Jamie Parker and Jenna Russell lead Sondheim gala

Imelda Staunton (Gypsy, Sweeney Todd), Jenna Russell (Merrily We Roll Along, Sunday in the Park with George) and Jamie Parker (Assassins, High Society) will lead the cast of a one-off charity gala in support of Stephen Sondheim at Theatre Royal Drury Lane on 25 October.

The concert, titled Hey, Old Friends!, is being produced by the Stephen Sondheim Society and Richard Douglas Productions, and is seeking to secure funds for the event through Kickstarter.

Other cast members will include Anne Reid (Coronation Street, Last Tango in Halifax) and Nicholas Parsons (Into the Woods, Just A Minute), and it will be directed and choreographed by Bill Deamer, with musical direction from Gareth Valentine.

Hey, Old Friends! is supporting Esther Rantzen's charity The Silver Line, a free confidential helpline providing information, friendship and advice to older people.

Imelda Staunton commented: "This year, Stephen Sondheim turned 85, and some of his old friends here in London – and I’m sure a few young ones – feel that we’d like to do something to celebrate. But we need
your help to make it happen."

Tickets for the gala are already on sale through Kickstarter, priced from £35.