Tickets were gifted in return for an honest review.
Theatre can be many things. Sometimes it brings belly laughs, others a tear or a thrill. But every
so often, a night of theatre comes along that is something all the more special altogether. A
moment where lovers of theatre join forces for a special cause and to do some good in a world
crying out for good people doing good things. And that is what Derby theatre were treated to on
Sunday night, when Mark Robert Perry and team brought a line-up of West End stars to Derby
theatre all in aid of an incredible cause. An annual event raising money for the Lewis Sewell Trust,
which I will talk more about later, this show brought the insane talent and glitz and glamour of the
West End to the heart of Derby and also featured some local gems that all in all made for the
perfect evening.
Compilation shows like this always remind me of why I love musicals so very dearly, and whether
you are a musical aficionado or an absolute addict like myself, the cleverly concocted
composition of songs selected truly brought something for everyone. From fan favourites like
Mamma Mia, Grease and The Greatest Showman, through classics like Les Mis and Phantom and
even lesser-known hits like Love Never Dies, this lineup was a true highlights reel of musical
theatre with every song performed to new heights of talent. Some numbers were true toe tappers
or sing-along pleasures and others had deeper meaning that were truly touching, with not a dry
eye in the house in some moments. And between each number introducing each act we were
treated to the charismatic delights of Mark Robert Petty himself, who had the audience captive
from the show’s opening and sprinkled in delightful anecdotes and reflections (alongside a rather
fabulous outfit change)! Joining him as co-host was Matt Sewell, brother of Lewis. Whilst Sewell
may be a novice to the musical theatre world, he was truly natural and a real delight on stage,
bringing his own memories and bouncing off of Petty brilliantly; the bond that Mark has with this
remarkable family was so clear and brought a warm, authentic atmosphere to proceedings.
Our line up, then consisted of Carolyn Maitland, Luke McCall, Laura Pick, Luke Suri, Chris Weeks
and - at a moment’s notice - the talented Charlie Baptie. Not only are all of these performers
incredible talents in their own right, but have given up their time not only to perform and support
the cause, but to work with some local young people in preparation which truly makes them
deserving of the huge standing ovation they received. Carolyn Maitland provided powerhouse
vocals for some showstopping moments, from a rendition of a personal favourite She Used to be
Mine to a rather special duet of Rewrite the Stars alongside dancers from Heath Primary School of
the Embark Fedaration; a magical moment. Joining her in the duet was Luke Suri of Jersey Boys
fame, who delighted audiences with a rendition of Frankie Valli’s Can’t Take My Eyes Off You as
well as a special Hamilton rendition and a Little Shop moment; a show upcoming to Derby
Theatre very soon! Chris Weeks brought his Buddy Holly impression as well as a real wide range
of musical stylings from Guys and Dolls to Sunset Boulevard. From Luke McCall- a previous
Phantom of the West End - we were treated to a whole host of gorgeous renditions from
Phantom, to West Side Story and Bring Him Home from Les Misérables, a song that held a
special meaning for the Sewell family and summed up the meaning of the entire concert, earned a
well deserved mid-show standing ovation. As a Wicked super-fan, I was overjoyed to be treated
to the INSANE talent of previous Elphaba Laura Pick, who defied gravity, became a dancing
queen and took up a role on Skid Row in a single evening! Her duet of For Good was another true
highlight of the evening. Completing the line up unexpectedly was Charlie Baptie, a stunning
soprano who delighted with moments from Phantom, West Side Story and Wicked. Again, her
Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again was a DELIGHT and you would have no idea just how
little rehearsal time she had during group numbers.
Talking about this show without talking about the incredible work of the Lewis Sewell trust charity
would be impossible as his legacy and the work they do were a golden thread and felt throughout
the show. Set up after Lewis sadly lost his battle with cancer, the charity aims to support young
people to get into the Arts and into performing without financial barriers getting in the way, at the
request of Lewis himself, who was preparing to audition for theatre school. Since setting up the
charity, they have managed to give three young people scholarships into leading performing arts
school, two of whom (Evie-May Dobb and Jess Steele) performed A Million Dreams in the show.
Seeing their performance, it became clear why the work of this charity is so important because
these two were stars and clearly born for the stage! The charity also supports larger groups of
children to get to work alongside West End Stars locally like Heath Primary School, and is now
beginning work with Derby Theatre to get young people acting credits in professional shows.
WHAT a legacy and what an incredible cause to support. The charity is clearly instrumental to the
family and to the local theatre community as detailed by the moving speech of the resilient and
inspiring Gillian Sewell, Lewis’ mother. Young people need the Arts more than ever, for
confidence, resilience, support, joy, transferable skills, the list goes on, and with funding
continuing to be cut in schools, the amazing work this charity do is simply vital. And to celebrate
on the very stage that Lewis once performed on through Derby Youth Theatre and found his
people; magical moments once more.
This fundraising concert is definitely one to put on your calendar as not only does it support such
an incredible cause, but to have such talent performing in a local space in such a delight.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
You can donate to the Lewis Swell Trust here: https://www.justgiving.com/charity/thelsmt and find out more about the incredible work they do here: https://www.thelsmt.org
You can also follow Mark Robert Petty on social media to find out about future concerts and events! I know I’ll
be in attendance.
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