A fundraising appeal has been launched to raise money for musical theatre star Louise Plowright, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer two years ago.
The West End leading lady, who will be best known to many for her long-running role as Donna in Mamma Mia!, was forced to leave Wicked in 2013 when she was diagnosed with the disease.
Following major surgery two years ago, her elder sister Rosalind revealed on a crowdfunding site that the cancer has recurred and the family is now looking to raise £140,000 so that the much-loved performer can undergo treatment in Korea in order to receive an advanced genetic vaccine not currently available in the UK.
In a statement on the fundraising platform, Rosalind said: “She is a wonderful person with a zest for life and I want to do everything I can to raise the money to get the treatment she desperately needs.
“You will know Louise from her brilliant career as an actress. She played the role of Donna in Mamma Mia! in the West End, thrilling audiences for five years in that great show. She was playing Madame Morrible in Wicked in the West End when the cancer struck. We all need to get together to help save this special lady.”
At the time of going to print, more than £10,000 had already been raised with many fellow West End performers taking to Twitter to pledge their support.
Incredible actress,singer & woman needs URGENT life saving operation PLEASE PLEDGE ! @WickedUK @MammaMiaMusical https://t.co/SFLEJ1LFrX
— Oliver Tompsett (@Ozziology) August 6, 2015
Anyone wanting to donate can visit the fundraising site here.