The cast 'urn' their keep with unusually sombre show at the Old Vic's 24 Hour Musical gala
Alice Jones' Arts Diary
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Anthony Head brought his school blazer, Freddie Fox a road sign and Meera Syal a belly-dancer’s waist chain. But it was Tracie Bennett, last seen playing Judy Garland in End of the Rainbow, who stole the show when she showed up to rehearsals for the Old Vic’s 24 Hour Musicals clutching a funeral urn which contained the ashes of her friend, Christopher.
Performers in the theatre’s annual fundraiser, in which stars of the stage create a show from scratch in the space of a single day, are asked to bring a prop with them to inspire the writers.
This year, for the first time, it was musicals rather than straight plays on the bill and Bennett’s unusual prop produced to the most sombre offering of the night. Living Everyday, written by Stephen Clark (Zorro; Love Story) about grief in which the cast, including Bennett, Luke Treadaway and Richard Fleeshman sang about a young man who is stabbed on the way home from a party.
Matt Lucas, as compere, was on hand to lighten the mood. His insistence on calling his co-hosts “Lex Luthor and the man from the Holsten Pils advert” may not have gone down too well with Kevin Spacey and Jeff Goldblum, however.
Meanwhile a fudged introduction, in which he claimed not to know who Jemima Rooper, star of One Man Two Guvnors was, drew boos from the stalls.
Also in the Arts Diary
Come and Holy See our show: Vatican to exhibit artwork at Venice Biennale next year
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments