Watch Starlight Express star Harrison Peterkin visit Downing Street as part of new campaign

Starlight Express star Harrison Peterkin, known for his role as Lumber in the production currently running at Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre, took a break from his performance schedule to deliver a message to the new Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Organised by the Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre, the video below saw Peterkin skating past significant government landmarks including Downing Street, the Treasury, and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

In the letter addressed to the Prime Minister, the co-CEOs of the Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre, Claire Walker and Hannah Essex, detailed the economic and social significance of the theatre industry. It noted that for every pound spent on a theatre ticket, an additional £1.40 is spent in the local area, underscoring the substantial economic impact of the industry.

Furthermore, the letter emphasised the global success of UK theatre productions, illustrating this with the example of The Lion King. While the film franchise has grossed $1.6 billion worldwide, the theatre franchise has far surpassed this, grossing $9.3 billion.

There were three key proposals – to facilitate a theatre trip for every school child, to invest in theatre buildings and to create a new strategic review of public investment in the arts.

You can watch the video below: