Now I may not have made the trip to see Heathers at The Other Palace just yet (give me a few more weeks, and then I’ll have the review ready for you), but I got swept up in the hype surrounding the show on Friday when I went to see Serenade London: For The Love Of Girls, and it was worth giving myself a little bit of a late night before West End LIVE.
Serenade London was founded in 2016 by two graduates of the Royal Academy of Music with the aim to bring together the finest singers & musicians from the worlds of opera, musical theatre & jazz to create vibrant, exciting, original and more importantly, intimate concerts, productions and events in London and beyond. Serenade London: For The Love Of Girls was a concert celebrating female composers and lyricists, featuring an all-female line-up, an all-female band and directed by an all-female creative team, raising money on behalf of Plan International’s UK Girls Fund.
Plan International UK’s Girl Fund supports long-term projects to empower girls at risk of harmful practices, such as child marriage, violence and FGM. Their aim is to raise awareness surrounding the real dangers of these practices to training teachers and providing school books so that girls can stay in school. This fund helps to change the lives of these at-risk girls.
Hosted by Wendi Peters, and with performances from Alexandra J Burns (The Girls), Alex Young (Follies, Carousel), Charlie-Jade Jones (Parade), Laura Tebbutt (Fiddler On The Roof, Into The Woods), Nikita Johal (Spring Awakening), Rebecca Gilliland (Just Another Love Story), Samantha Dorsey (Les Miserables) and Lauren Chia (Aladdin), this was a night of girl power that you really shouldn’t have missed!
With music by Carol Arnopp, Gwen Reed and Alice Angliss, the studio at The Other Palace was set alight by these wonderful women. Singing songs from shows that are currently performing on the West End and Broadway, older productions and some lesser known cult-favourites, they made for a stunning Friday evening.
My personal favourite performances of the evening came from Rebecca Gilliland with her rendition of Journey To The Past from Anastasia, Alex Young’s comedic 100 Easy Ways To Lose A Man, and Laura Tebbutt’s moving version of She Used To Be Mine (if she isn’t considered to play Jenna in the West End transfer of Waitress I’ll be boycotting the production entirely…okay, not really because I adore the show but Tebbutt is a serious contender, with a seriously incredible shoe collection. If I didn’t have shoe envy after seeing her at West End Live Lounge last month, I certainly do now).
Beautiful Beautiful: The Carole King Musical – Laura Tebbutt
Journey To The Past Anastasia – Rebecca Gilliland
I Just Might 9-To-5 – Alexandra J Burns, Nikita Johal & Rebecca Gilliland
Northerners – Wendi Peters
100 Easy Ways To Lose A Man Wonderful Town – Alex Young
A Little Bit In Love Wonderful Town – Samantha Dorsey
How Could I Ever Know The Secret Garden – Lauren Chia
If They Could See Me Now Sweet Charity – Alexandra J Burns
Jimmy Thoroughly Modern Millie – Charlie-Jade Jones
The Girl In 14G – Samantha Dorsey
Astonishing Little Women – Charlie-Jade Jones, Alexandra Burns, Rebecca Gilliland & Nikita Johal
Amerlia’s Song – Charlie-Jade Jones, Lauren Chia & Samantha Dorsey
What About Love The Colour Purple – Rebecca Gilliland & Nikita Johal
Morning Person Shrek The Musical – Lauren Chia
What Baking Can Do Waitress – Alexandra J Burns
She Used To Be Mine Waitress – Laura Tebbut
The History Of Wrong Guys Kinky Boots – Nikita Johal
Only Love The Scarlett Pimpernel – Charlie-Jade Jones
Days & Days Fun Home – Alex Young
I Have Nothing The Bodyguard – Laura Tebbutt
You’ve Got A Friend Beautiful: The Carole King Musical – Company
I can’t wait to see what Serenade London get up to next, although with plans to collaborate with The Canvas in Shoreditch to bring us Serenade Sunday and another charity concert in the works for 2019, I’m sure it won’t be long until we hear more from this brilliant group.