Preview: Forgotten Broadway at South Shields Customs House

STARS OF STAGE AND SCREEN SET TO PERFORM IN MEMORY OF THEATRE DIRECTOR JACKIE FIELDING

Forgotten Broadway

South Shields Customs House

Sunday 3^rd September 2017

A musical tribute to a much-loved theatre director has attracted stars of stage and screen to perform in support of two local charities.

Jackie Fielding

Forgotten Broadway is the title of this year’s fundraiser in aid of The Jackie Fielding Trust and The Customs House Trust. It takes place on Sunday 3^rd September at 7pm at The Customs House in Mill Dam, South Shields, where Jackie Fielding oversaw many popular productions.

Among the acts lined up to perform are West End actors Jamie Birkett and Alice Stokoe, The Voice’s Melissa Cavanagh, The Customs House panto favourites Steven Lee Hamilton and David John Hopper and local singing group Encore.

Jen Stevens, Angela Hannon, Rosie Ramsey, Louise Gray, Lauren Gordon, Bethan Amber Carr-Brown and South Tyneside Dance Workshop will also appear and the evening will be compered by Ray Spencer, Executive Director of The Customs House.

Encore

Gareth Hunter, artistic director of Ion Productions, who has put the show together, said: “The show will feature lesser known, newer or forgotten musical theatre songs with something for everyone. There is a fantastic line-up of people giving us their time and to add to the music, Ray Spencer will be on hand to guide us through the evening in his own unique style. There are two great charities being supported on the evening and it would be great if we got a good turnout.”

The Jackie Fielding Trust was launched last year to help young people from the north east pursue a career in the performing arts, awarding a total of £2,000 in its first year.

Gareth added: “Jackie was well-respected and critically-acclaimed as both an actress and a director. She was someone always willing to lend a hand to help others, whether it was an upcoming actor, a new writer or just a friend in need.”

Jackie was renowned for her unwavering support, advocacy and development of emerging artists in the north east, many of whom have since gone on to carve out successful careers in their chosen genres.

Jackie, who lived in South Shields but was originally from Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria, died in May 2015, after suffering a brain aneurysm while working on The Man and the Donkey at The Customs House.

She studied drama at Manchester University before attending the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London, which she would not have been able to do without the help of state funding. For this reason, her family and friends were keen to raise money in her memory to support young people from the north east in need of funding towards training fees for musical theatre, dance and acting courses.

Tickets:

Tickets for Forgotten Broadway are priced from £15. Contact the box office on (0191) 455 1234 or book online at www.customshouse.co.uk.

The trustees of The Jackie Fielding Trust have also set up a JustGiving page for those who can’t make the show, but would still like to donate. It can be found at https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/jackiefieldingtrust