Singers to perform in Helensburgh in aid of Beatson Cancer Charity

Matinee at the Musicals is returning to the town on Sunday, February 26 for the fourth time since its launch in 2018, raising funds for the Beatson Cancer Charity and Rainbow Valley Cancer Charity.

The show will see local singers and performers take to the stage in numbers from old favourites such as West Side Story, Les Miserables, Oklahoma, and The Phantom of the Opera.

The concert will also feature songs from newer musicals, including Come From Away, Hamilton, and Dear Evan Hansen.

Organiser Donna Hicks started hosting the concerts after her mum passed away from cancer in 2014, with her dad dying from the illness in 2019.

Donna and the chorus performing at a previous concert (Image: Donna Hicks)

Donna has also lived with multiple myeloma for nine years and regularly attends the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre in Glasgow.

She reached out to Pamela Frew, who is head of music at Hermitage Academy, to seek her help with the production.

She said: “It was following the death of my mum in 2014 that I wanted to do a fundraiser for the Beatson Cancer Charity.

“I spoke to Pamela Frew, who is a friend of mine, but I hadn’t been in touch with her for a long time.

“I knew I could pull the whole thing together, but I couldn’t do the music side of it.

“Unbeknown to me, her dad had passed away from cancer a few years before and she had been trying to think of something she could do. She was absolutely delighted to help.”

The show will include songs from musicals such as Hamilton, West Side Story, and Les Miserables (Image: Donna Hicks)

This year’s concert will see 19 singers take to the stage, as well as 18 dancers from Ubaniks School of Dance and around 30 musical theatre students from the Ian R McLeod Theatre School.

Donna said events like this are “crucial” in the survival of charities supporting those affected by cancer.

She added: “Everybody has been affected by cancer in some way shape or form, either directly or indirectly. Nobody can escape it – it’s always there.

“Without fundraising, these charities wouldn’t survive. It’s difficult times for everybody and money’s tight – people can only give what they can.

“The financial securities are hitting charities as well, but they need to survive, so it’s hugely crucial.

“I think people are in for a treat with an afternoon of entertainment.

“I think the standard and quality will be amazing, so it’s great value for money.

“We’ve deliberately kept our costs at an absolute minimum so that we can maximise what we’re giving to the charity.”

Tickets cost £12 (£10 concessions), and are available from Shooftie on West Clyde Street or online from Rainbow Valley. The show will begin at 2pm.