West End Bares is an initiative created by legendary Broadway and West End choreographer/director Jerry Mitchell, to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids charities.  The sold out event called ‘Ruby Strippers’ combined the naughtiness of burlesque and the razzle-dazzle of the West End, featuring some of Theatreland’s hottest performers.

Graham Norton returned as our main host and was joined by Adam Garcia(The Exorcist, Murder on the Orient Express [2017], Flight of the Concords, Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, Tap Dogs, Saturday Night Fever) Tom Allen(Live At The Apollo, 8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, Just A Minute); Dianne Pilkington (Young Frankenstein, Mamma Mia!, Wicked, Taboo); Oliver Savile(Wicked, The Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Mamma Mia!); Celinde Schoenmaker (The Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables), Summer Strallen (Young Frankenstein, Love Never Dies, The Sound of Music, Hollyoaks).

They were joined by the Olivier Award winning Rebecca Trehearn (Showboat, City of Angels, Ghost), who opened the show with a performance of an exclusive track especially written for the occasion by Mark Anderson (The Book Of Mormon, Legally Blonde) and Luke di Somma (That Bloody Woman [composer], 21 Chump Street).

They joined the much-loved characters of Oz for an extraordinary night saw over 100 of the hottest performers from the West End stage take to the stage to combine the naughtiness of burlesque with the magic of the West End. All of the money raised went to The Make A Difference Trust to fund HIV and AIDS projects that raise awareness, educate and provide care and support in the UK and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Directed by David Grewcock with choreography from Fletcher Dobinson (Cats; West Side Story), Jaye Elster (Singin’ In The Rain; Half A Sixpence), Matt Gillett (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang; Singin’ In The Rain; Jersey Boys; Top Hat), Tom Jackson Greaves (Nutcracker, Early Adventures and Sleeping Beauty with New Adventures; Secret Cinema; Kneehigh Theatre), Ashley Jordan-Packer (Cats; Thriller Live), Will Lucas (Cats; Wicked), Simone Mistry-Palmer (Motown; Dirty Dancing), Ashley Nottingham (Thoroughly Modern Millie; Dance Mums; Disaster!), Racky Plews (American Idiot; Footloose; Heaven on Earth), Aaron Renfree (X Factor; The Saturdays), Chris Whittaker (Blondel; Judy!),  and James Wilson (Strictly Come Dancing; The Voice).

The show was on Sunday 29 October at the Novello Theatre.