London’s hit Abba musical Mamma Mia! has raised an impressive £45,885.50 for the BBC’s Children In Need through a special gala performance held earlier this week.
The dancing queens and super troopers of the Mamma Mia! cast joined with BBC London 94.9 for the special event from which the full face value and booking charges from every ticket sold were donated to the annual appeal.
The gala show’s audience was treated to a brightly-coloured-lycra-clad performance full of some of the catchiest pop songs ever written, and were surprised to see Children In Need’s cuddly mascot Pudsey joining in, wearing his own extra special costume.
Following the show, radio presenters Danny Baker and Vanessa Feltz, who is a regular on the London theatre opening night circuit, passed the £45k cheque on to Pudsey.
Speaking about the gala, Feltz said: “It really was the most sensational evening! It was completely and utterly delightful to see everyone in their glad rags. We raised more money than BBC London has ever raised, over £45,000! It was an absolute joy!”
Mamma Mia!, which currently stars Sally Ann Triplett and former I’d Do Anything contestant Niamh Perry, is not the only West End show to be lending its support to the BBC appeal that regularly changes the lives of thousand of disadvantaged children and young people in the UK. Many of London’s top shows will be making an appearance on tonight’s BBC1 show, among them Priscilla Queen Of The Desert The Musical, Avenue Q and Legally Blonde The Musical, which begins previews in London next month.
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