Amongst them are Jeff Goldblum and Laura Michelle Kelly, who both previously co-starred at the Old Vic in Speed-the-Plow with artistic director Kevin Spacey, as well as Tracie Bennett (recently Tony-nominated for End of the Rainbow on Broadway), Richard Fleeshman (recently seen on Broadway in Ghost) and Jemima Rooper (recently seen on Broadway in One Man, Two Guvnors).
Now in its ninth year, this year's event will see established actors, singers, writers, composers and directors come together to create a series of four musicals in the space of just 24 hours, to raise funds for The Old Vic Theatre Trust. The event coincides with the run of Trevor Nunn's production of Kiss Me, Kate on the theatre's stage.
The event will be introduced by Spacey and hosted by Matt Lucas (best known for TV's "Little Britain" but who has played Thernadier in the 25th anniversary production of Les MIserables at the O2 Arena and subsequently at the Queen's Theatre). Other names confirmed to appear include Rosalie Craig and Julian Ovenden (both recently in the world premiere of Finding Neverland at Leicester Curve), Haydn Gwynne (the original Mrs. Wilkinson in Billy Elliot in the West End and on Broadway), Freddie Fox (recently seen as Sir Alfred 'Bosie' Douglas in The Judas Kiss at Hampstead Theatre, which is set to transfer to the West End in January), Anthony Head, Colin Morgan, Con O'Neill, Nigel Planer, Amy Nuttall and Sharon Small.
Over the past eight years, The 24 Hour Play Celebrity Gala has seen a host of stars come together to face the ultimate creative challenge.
It is co-produced with The 24 Hour Company. In 1995, the first production of The 24 Hour Plays took place on Manhattan's Lower East Side. Inspired by Scott McCloud's 24-hour comics (comic books composed in a single day), project creator Tina Fallon saw an opportunity to bring together a community of creative people in a time-limited experiment. It was intended as a one-off project, but more than 16 years and 300 plays later, the 24 Hour Company has produced the event all around the world. The 24 Hour Plays was brought to the U.K. by The Old Vic Theatre Company as a celebrity fundraising event in 2004. The 24 Hour Musicals Celebrity Gala is the principal annual fundraising event in support of The Old Vic Theatre Trust and the important work, through Old Vic New Voices, to mentor the next generation of creative talent.
Visit www.oldvictheatre.com for more details.
