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.
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. Past participants and hosts include Ronni Ancona, Gael Garçia Bernal, Jim Broadbent, Kelly Brook, John Cleese, Lily Cole, Benedict Cumberbatch, Joseph Fiennes, Freddie Fox, Stephen Fry, Tom Hardy, Toby Jones, Ralph Little, James Nesbitt, Sophie Okonedo, Tamsin Outhwaite, Rosumund Pike, Rufus Sewell, Michael Sheen, Brooke Shields, Kevin Spacey, Catherine Tate and Vince Vaughn.
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 UK 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.
To book tickets, contact the box office on 0844 871 7628 or visit www.oldvictheatre.com for more details.