Hi friends! The Bush Theatre is proud to announce the unprecedented results of our Gala so aptly named ‘An Affair to Remember.’ To our surprise and delight, we surpassed our £350K target and brought in a gross income of nearly £500,000! But before we get ahead of ourselves, allow me to unfold the evening’s events… (and click [here] for photos!)
To kick off the Haughton’s renown fair, Art Antiques London, our guests arrived on a balmy June 9th to support the Bush Theatre and view some of the finest European art imaginable. Twilight descended and as if on cue, the crowd sparkled. Once past the threshold, a row of welcoming waiters offered elegant flutes of champagne while delicious canapés floated by on coveted plates and bids were placed on the exclusive silent auction.
As we all know, the Bush is the home of new talent for theatre and so it goes without saying that we were honoured to be joined by some of our favourite actors. Mingling amongst the guests were the lovely Mercedes Ruehl, the incredibly handsome James Purefoy, the brilliant Sam West, the glowing friends Rachel Stirling and Jessica Hynes, Bush Theatre alumni Sam Barnet and Stephanie Street, and radiant couple Hattie Morahan and Blake Ritson. Their presence filled the room with bubbling excitement before the evening settled in for dinner.
But the excitement was far from stopping there! Imbuing the banquet with pizzazz were graceful performers who, through the masterful choreography of Bush Theatre Associate Director Nathan Curry, danced and embraced outside the windows portraying summer desires for secret rendezvous’. As stomachs became full and dishes were cleared, the Bush prepared itself to experience the real suspense of the night: the Live Auction.
Cabaret auctioneers Kit & The Widow bellowed out and before we knew it, six lots of money-can’t-buy prizes pinged around the room. Hands popped up, pointers shouted, bidding wars ensued and we watched in amazement as offers reached soaring heights before the classic, ‘Going once, going twice, SOLD!; rang pleasantly in our ears. One lucky bidder will now receive a Book Publishing Deal from HarperCollins while another looks forward to Champagne Tea with Orlando Bloom – and those are just two of the glitzy treasures. Along with the silent auction and the popular ‘Shepherds Bush; (a lucky dip of various fun prizes pinned to a oversized Bush B), we brought in record breaking funds so quickly that we had to catch our breath.
As our glorious Gala began to wind down, departing guests were thrilled to learn that the lanterns over their heads, the turf under their feet, and the chairs in which they sat were all available to bring home. For a further donation, they left the party with all their summer décor in place, ready for the bright days ahead. The good news is that these items are still on offer! If you’d like to own a piece of our historic evening, just give gala administrator Rhianna Kang a call at 0208 746 4787 – she’ll be happy to take your order.
In thinking back to last Wednesday, it's no coincidence we were able to reap such a bountiful harvest. We had four or the most diligent co-chairs: Gianni Alen-Buckley, Antonella Miro, Frances Prenn, and Claire Bruce; two of the most tireless events coordinators: Geraldine Allen and Sarah Rogers; a committee of over 100; extremely generous sponsors: UBS, Lady Susie Sainsbury, Michael & Gianni Alen-Buckley, Philip & Mary Richards, Dixon Wilson Chartered Accountants, Odey Asset Management LLP, Jefferies, International Limited, RAB Capital plc, Forsters LLP, Bank of Ireland, and others; glamorous supporters: Jeremy & Britta Lloyd, John Shakeshaft, and Peter Soros; and shimmering individual donors: Amanda Attarde-Manche, Pieter & Olga Dreesmann, Mark & Marnie Franklin, John Kinder, Danny & Lillan Wyler, and Mercedes Zobel. Furthermore, we had the support of numerous businesses and individuals who made donations to our ‘Shepherds Bush’, a list of which can be found by following this link: [here]. All of these people, along with those that attended the event and those that volunteered, helped to ensure the future of our theatre and for that reason, we proclaim our deepest and sincerest gratitude.
Indeed, the 9th of June 2010 was truly an Affair to Remember’ and I do believe that Prince Albert, as he sat proudly on his Kensington throne, shone even more golden over the display of such benevolence towards the arts.
