A comedy and music spectacular starring Griff Rhys Jones, Ruth Jones, David Baddiel, Omid Djalili and Joe Pasquale smashed new ground after raising more than £146,000 for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH).
Happy Christmas East Anglia took place at Ipswich’s Regent Theatre on Monday night – in addition to smaller, simultaneous spin-off shows in Cambridge and Norwich.
Griff is an EACH patron and raided his contacts book once again to put on a show that also featured West End and Broadway legend Ruthie Henshall, comedian, doctor and broadcaster Paul Sinha, impressionist Jon Culshaw and comedian Nathan Caton.
Others on the bill in Ipswich – the fifth anniversary of the Suffolk show – included comedy trio Triple Cream, dynamic dance troupe The Fosse Four and the Choir of St Mary’s Le Tower.
The final total raised was in the region of £146,000, eclipsing last year’s record total of £134,500.
EACH Chief Executive Kevin Clements said: “It was another huge success, and I’m in awe at what the organising committee continually manages to achieve.
“The amount raised is an exceptional contribution to our work at a time when funding challenges couldn’t be tougher.
“In terms of the amount we need to raise, the mountain continues to get taller and steeper, and that’s why this show has become such a major event for us.
“It’s an enormous boost to everyone associated with our organisation – staff, volunteers, supporters and, most importantly, the families we care for.
“We couldn’t be more thankful and not least to Griff, whose boundless energy, enthusiasm and passion makes this fabulous night possible.”
Pasquale started the night at the Norwich show before heading down the A140 and taking to the stage in Ipswich.
Joining him at Hooma Comedy, in Dereham Road, Norwich, were John Mann, Tim Fitzhigham, Leon Mallett and Martin Westgate.
Rory McGrath and Geoff Norcott, meanwhile, were among those to appear at the Big Deal venue, in Market Passage, Cambridge, and they were joined by Tom Alban, Philip Pope and MC Jason Stampe.
Happy Christmas East Anglia was supported by joint-headline sponsors The New Homes Group and Johnston Quarter. The Silver Sponsor was John Fowlers Solicitors LLP.
Pictures: Glenn Hands/EACH
