KNUTSFORD Musical Theatre Company’s tribute to the NHS has been attracting thousands of views.
Members of the company perform the timeless Over The Rainbow in a video they have created and dedicated to the NHS, and in particular Leighton Hospital and Mid Cheshire Hospitals Foundation Trust.
With this month’s production of Shrek the Musical being cancelled because of the coronavirus lockdown the company has been recording weekly singalongs.
The latest one, Over the Rainbow, was the idea of company chairman Ben Ireson, whose wife Siobhan is a nurse at Leighton Hospital.
Ben said that Siobhan, who has been a nurse for three years, was a stroke nurse, but because of staff illness and absence had been working on Covid-19 wards.
“The video is dedicated to NHS staff, who are putting their lives on the line,” said Ben.
“The work they are doing is physically and emotionally draining, and we are lucky to have such a great health service.”
The video features about 20 members of the company, led by musical director Michael Scott.
Members performing Over The Rainbow
Ben added: “We have had a really good response to the video, which has been viewed almost 3,000 times already.”
The video can be seen on the company’s Facebook page, KMTC Theatre.
Ben thanked everyone who donated more than £700 in ticket money to the company from the cancelled performances of Shrek.
He added: "This month we were supposed to be performing Shrek. As a thank you to all those people who donated ticket money we are going to be streaming a special night of musical theatre on Friday, May 15."
A link will be sent to the email people booked and donated with along with full instructions of how to watch.
The company has been nominated for nine awards at the first ever Manchester Musical Awards for its production of Ghost.
The nominees are; Best Actor, Andrew Dunn for Sam Wheat; Best Actress, Nickie Simms for Molly Jensen; Best Supporting Actor, Gabriel Walker for Carl Brunner; Best Supporting Actor, K Ellis for Willy Lopez; Best Director, Ben Ireson; Best Musical Director, Michael Scott; Best Choreographer, Alexandra Howarth; Best Technical Achievement; Best Musical.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here