Revised dates have now been confirmed for Monday Night at the Apollo – a brand-new concert series for 2021, to be performed in front of socially distanced audiences at the Apollo Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue, and simultaneously livestreamed to viewers at home via the theatre discovery platform Thespie, which is dedicated to bringing the best live and recorded theatre to audiences around the world
Originally scheduled for January and February, the concerts have been postponed because of the national government restrictions and venue closures. Tickets are on sale now for Monday 12 April, Monday 26 April and Monday 10 May. In light of the current restrictions, the producers will still review each date as it approaches and react accordingly according to government guidelines at the time.
The series will feature intimate evenings of conversation and song hosted by Greg Barnett (Miss Littlewood, Duchess of Malfi), with some of the West End’s best-known performers singing an eclectic mix of music from their favourite genres. Performers will share their most cherished memories and experiences from their careers, alongside performances of music which is personal to them, in a relaxed and informal theatrical celebration.
Monday Night at the Apollo has been conceived of to support the theatre industry, and ten percent of proceeds will be donated to Acting for Others, an organisation made up of 14 individual theatrical charities.
Whilst individual concert line-ups have not yet been confirmed, performers who are committed at this stage to appearing in the series include Aimie Atkinson (Six, Pretty Woman), Declan Bennett (Jesus Christ Superstar, Once), Rosalie Craig (Company, City of Angels), Arthur Darvil (Once, Sweet Charity), Kerry Ellis (Wicked, Les Misérables), Hadley Fraser (Les Misérables, City of Angels), Cassidy Janson (& Juliet, Beautiful), Lucie Jones (Waitress, Rent), Renée Lamb (Six, Little Shop of Horrors), Cedric Neal (Chess, Mowtown the Musical), Jamie Muscato (Heathers, West Side Story), Julian Ovenden (Merrily We Roll Along, Showboat), and Layton Williams (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Billy Elliot the Musical).
The announced artists have agreed to have their names associated with ‘Monday Night At The Apollo’ to show their support for both this production as well as the wider reopening of the industry. Their performances will be subject to availability and any changes to the cast will be announced on a rolling basis. Announcement of line-ups for individual dates will happen at least four weeks prior to each.
Producers Greg Barnett and Hugh Summers said, “We’re so excited to be announcing revised dates and further cast for ‘Monday Night At The Apollo’. In light of the newly imposed national coronavirus restrictions, we feel it was the correct decision to postpone the original performances. Public health and the safety of our audiences is our utmost priority and will always be the most important factor in informing any decisions we make. With that said, we truly believe that we are on the way back to reopening theatres and feel it is important to press ahead with getting these concerts staged. It in no way dampens our spirits, rather it strengthens our resolve to get the industry restarted. In doing so, we hope to be able to raise funds for ‘Acting For Others’ to continue to support the thousands of freelancers who these latest restrictions will hit the hardest. Theatre and its audiences know how important it is to get back to normal, especially in these seemingly crucial final months. Therefore, we ask your support, kindness, and when needed, patience, as we navigate the difficult road ahead.”
