News: Theatre Support Fund+ wins Innovation Award at The Stage Awards

Theatre Support Fund + and its memorable The Show Must Go On! campaign has been awarded a place in this year’s Stage 100 list, as well as the Innovation Award. Recognised for their fundraising achievements are Damien Stanton and Chris Marcus, the team behind the iconic campaign.

It has also been announced that, safety permitting, The Show Must Go On! Live at the Palace Theatre will run in March, starring casts from the shows featured on the memorable logo.

Celebrities across the West End have collaborated to promote The Show Must Go On! merchandise, which has raised more than half a million pounds for the theatre community. Merchandise ranges from t-shirts, tote bags and face coverings, to mugs, badges and notebooks.

Set up in May by Marcus, who jointly runs West End props company Marcus Hall Props, and Stanton, an assistant stage manager and graphic designer, the campaign began as a way to put their excess time to good use by raising money for theatre charities. Using the Marcus Hall Props’ premises as a warehouse, they began work on a new project that would lead to them becoming website builders, logistics managers and order packers, aided by in-kind marketing and social support and alongside a small team.

The Show Must Go On! campaign features letters from logos of 16 iconic West End shows, including Hamilton, Mamma Mia!, Come from Away, Six and Wicked. It has amassed over 55,000 orders from over 70 countries and raised more than £600,000, which has been split between theatre charities Acting for Others and the Fleabag Support Fund, as well as the NHS Covid-19 Urgent Appeal.

Supporters include Dame Judi Dench, Patti LuPone, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Keira Knightley, Beverley Knight and Derek Jacobi.

Check out the latest theatre news.