Charlie Kristensen, the 11 year old passionate anti-bullying campaigner and much-loved host of the online chat show Musical Chairs with #CheerUpCharlie, will hold his fundraising gala #CheerUpCharlie – The Show on Sunday 31 October 2021 at 7.30pm at The Actor’s Church in Covent Garden, London.
Produced by Mark Robert Petty and hosted by Ben Stock and Hilary O’Neil, with Musical Direction by Tom Knowles, the evening will feature an exciting line-up of West End musical performers and a few special surprises from Charlie! Further cast and creatives are to be announced.
Charlie said: “It is an honour to have so many people involved with the show who have supported me from the very start. There were so many times I felt alone even when I was surrounded by people. I now feel anything but and am so lucky that I can now use my voice to keep growing this platform and doing what I love to raise awareness that we are all accepted for who we truly are. I may be just one boy with a small voice, but I have a huge tribe behind me, and I will make a difference. This concert will be a celebration of all that I stand for; kindness, bravery and being able to stand true in the face of adversity. So, join me for a night of fun, laughter and music!”
Profits from ticket sales will be split between two charities close to Charlie’s heart: Acting For Others, which provides financial and emotional support to all theatre workers in times of need through the 14 member charities, and The National Deaf Children’s Society which is the leading charity for deaf children. They support the UK’s 50,000 deaf children and young people and their families, and they are there for every deaf child who needs them – no matter what their level or type of deafness or how they communicate. (Charlie overcame a severe infection, which has left him mainly deaf in his left ear and required 15 operations).
Booking is now open at https://actorschurch.ticketsolve.com/shows/873612837. The show will be BSL signed by Paul Whittaker and another signer (to be announced). The venue is wheelchair accessible. Please wear a mask (unless exempt) and use the hand sanitizer provided. There are no on-site public toilets.
Charlie started his ‘#CheerUpCharlie’ campaign in 2019. Having been bullied severely for over 18 months, in part due to his love of performing, Charlie couldn’t take any more. When he opened up to his performance coach West End actress Jacqueline Hughes, she rallied support from the theatre industry via Twitter. Hundreds of performers and creatives from the West End, Broadway and even Hollywood identified with Charlie’s story, and inundated him with video messages of support. This led to backstage invitations and national media interviews including BBC Breakfast and Michael Ball’s BBC Radio 2 show. Charlie then knew he wanted to channel his own traumatic experiences, and use the support he had received, to help him fight for others. He trained as an Ambassador for The Diana Award and in June 2021, he was recognised with the The Diana Award himself – the highest accolade a young person can achieve for social action or humanitarian efforts.
Charlie now devotes over one hundred hours each month to help others by mentoring, campaigning, fundraising and raising awareness. His successes have included the release of a charity single performed alongside West End talent, the development of a musical theatre workshop in partnership with Nathaniel Morrison, and his popular weekly YouTube chat show, Musical Chairs, with guests including Matt Lucas, Gaby Roslin, Jodie Prenger, Faye Tozer, Baz Bamigboye, Lucie Jones, Alice Fearn, Gemma Knight Jones, Rob Madge, Aimie Atkinson, Rachel Tucker and many more.
