A BRIDGWATER venue is set to host a musical theatre showcase to raise money for a mental health charity.
The McMillan Theatre will host Encore, a show organised by Ashley Ross Quinn with local businessman Ken Baker.
Encore is the sequel to Stages, which Ashley and Ken organised at the McMillan last year, raising £2,600 for the Alzheimer's Society and the NSPCC.
This year's show will take place on Saturday, September 3 and raise money for mental health charity Mind.
The night of sparkling entertainment will feature classic ballads and toe-tapping favourites.
Ashley, who trained at The Italia Conte Academy of Theatre Arts, said: “It’s a collaboration of people who are mostly professionally trained.
“Some have performed in the West End, and we’ve got some people who have performed on cruise ships and things like that.
“We’ve got some people who are going to drama school and will be moving to London this year.”
This will be Ashley's third fundraising show. Before Stages, he organised a charity concert on his own to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support.
There will also be an auction with memorabilia signed by West End performers up for grabs, plus a raffle with prizes donated by local businesses.
The performer emphasised the importance of speaking about mental health as part of the organisers' decision to fundraise for Mind.
“When you feel like you’re on your own and you need support, we want to remind people that Mind is there,” said Ashley.
He added: “We’re really looking forward to combining together. This year, we’re doing a lot of numbers together.
“We’re rehearsing group numbers separately and we’ll be performing them together, which will be interesting!
“It will be nice to share the stage with people I’ve grown up with.”
The performers are taking part voluntarily to help raise money for the charity.
They are Ashley Ross Quinn, Tom Crout, Gemma Coombs, Laura Sandford-Hughes, Amelia Seaton, Samuel Howes, Harry Winchester, Mia Huntley, Jessica Gardener, Shalana Serafina, and Siani Medlock.
Encore will be hosted by Chris Hocking and Malcolm Cattle.
Ashley would like to thank Ken for his help arranging the show and the performers for giving up their time.
Tickets can be purchased from the McMillan Theatre's website for £15 (plus a £1.50 booking fee).
For more information, visit www.mcmillantheatre.com/events/encore/.
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