Over £45,500 raised at this year’s Acting For Others WEST END FLEA MARKET
Photo credit: Roy J Baron
Theatrical charity Acting for Others have announced that over £45,500 – nearly double the amount in 2019 – was raised at the West End Flea Market on 21 May held at St Paul’s Church in Covent Garden, with thousands of people in attendance.
Top West End shows set up stalls full of theatrical goodies and special one-off items – which were on display for celebrity judges Christopher Biggins, Michael Ball and Golda Rosheuvel. Running stalls on the day were company members from Book of Mormon, Come From Away, Dear Evan Hansen, Hamilton, Jersey Boys, Les Misérables, Life of Pi, Mamma Mia!, Moulin Rouge, Only Fools and Horses the Musical, Pretty Woman, Six, The Play That Goes Wrong, The Phantom of The Opera, and To Kill a Mockingbird.
Taking the prize of Best Dressed Stall this year, for the second time in a row, was Only Fools and Horses. Their stall contained an array of delights including a Reliant Robin made of pompoms, Del Boy’s sheepskin coat worn by Tom Bennett in the original stage production, specially printed tea towels with signed photos of the cast backstage, a mini paddling pool to play Hook a Duck, and an acapella performance for the judges of Down to Margate from the show.
Biggins’ Bargains, the auction event hosted by Christopher Biggins, returned with items such as a show-themed can of hairspray signed by Michael Ball, a backstage tour to meet the cast of Hamilton, and a Pretty Woman dressing gown worn and signed by Danny Mac. These special prizes collectively raised hundreds of pounds for Acting for Others.
There were stars in the autograph tent taking selfies and signing posters and goodies for fans including Alice Fearn (Come From Away), Miriam Teak-Lee (& Juliet), Jordan Luke Gage (Bonnie & Clyde), and Strictly Come Dancing’s Anya Garnis and Pasha Kovalev, and there were long queues for Su Pollard’s fortune telling. Dames on the day were Terence Frisch, Wayne Morgan-Williams, and Jamie Steen. Refreshments were provided by The Theatre Café.
Merchandise, playbills and signed posters were also available to purchase from West End shows including & Juliet, Back to the Future, Cabaret, Frozen, Get Up, Stand Up, Heathers, My Fair Lady, The Drifters Girl, and The Lion King, as well as from historic productions spanning across decades.
Director of Fundraising for Acting for Others, Joel Marvin, said: “What an absolute joy it is to be back celebrating theatre, and to see the support for Acting for Others at this year’s West End Flea Market raising our biggest total to date. Having been put on hold by the pandemic, it was particularly special to be back with so many people who share our love of theatre. The appetite for the West End is well and truly back, with queues around the corner once again. A huge thank you to the shows, our judges and ambassadors that took part to make Saturday such a success, and to every single person that turned up and queued to get in. We can’t wait to welcome you all back next year!”
