Riverside Studios, the newly re-opened multi-arts venue in Hammersmith, is launching a series of online fundraising quizzes hosted by stars of stage and screen in order to raise funds to ensure it can continue its current artistic offering beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.
The series will kick off with its inaugural virtual quiz night on Wednesday 29 April hosted by the much-loved author and presenter Gyles Brandreth, followed by legendary actor and presenter Stephen Fry asking the questions on Wednesday 13 May, with the next instalment on Wednesday 27 May with comedian Jo Brand at the forefront.
Curated by QI and Blackadder producer John Lloyd, participants will answer 6 rounds of questions from the worlds of music, theatre, cinema, comedy, art and food and drink, with a chance to win some incredible luxury prizes. The winner will receive a dinner for 4 (value £300) at the beautiful brasserie Sam’s Riverside, with other prizes including subscriptions to healthy recipe box service Mindful Chef, online streaming service MUBI and for film lovers, 12 months’ worth of tickets for Riverside Studios’ brand-new state of the art cinema.
Reopening its doors to the public in November 2019 after a five-year redevelopment, Riverside Studios firmly re-established itself as one of London’s finest multi-arts venues. Money raised from the quizzes will help ensure it is able to continue putting on the very best theatre, film and comedy after the crisis is over. 10% of proceeds will go to Riverside Studios’ local NHS charity, the Imperial Health Charity, which supports five hospitals around Hammersmith.
Riverside’s Artistic Director/CEO, William Burdett-Coutts, commented: “Like every arts venue in London and across the UK, Riverside Studios has suffered hugely from the COVID-19 pandemic, losing all its revenue over the past 4 weeks. As a charity that receives no public funding, we need to safeguard the future of our historic venue and ensure we can continue showcasing talent. All our hosts have some relationship with the building. Gyles Brandreth played Lady Bracknell in a musical version of The Importance of Being Ernest and will hopefully be back in a show at Christmas. Jo Brand took part in the London Comedy Festival; and Stephen Fry performed at Riverside early in his career. Riverside Studios has always been about both the local and wider community, and the Charity Quiz Nights are a great way for our audiences to get involved, have some fun, have the chance to win some amazing prizes, all for a great cause.”
