Comic Relief (Red Nose Day)

Nothing too ornate, fancy or complex today.  I just want your money.  For a good cause of course!

The play I am directing is called Teechers.

Teechers is a funny play.

One of the performance nights falls on Comic Relief.

Therefore it makes sense to raise money for Comic Relief through the play.

For those of you not familiar with Comic Relief, it is a major charity based in the UK which strives to create a just world, a world that is free from poverty.  Their mission is to drive positive change through the power of entertainment and they have been raising millions since 1985.

They have two big campaigns - Red Nose Day and Sport Relief and alternate every year.  This year it is Red Nose Day.

Red Nose Day is on Friday 15th March.  The idea is pretty simple.  People do funny, silly and ridiculous things, often mocking themselves and others, all in the name of entertainment that raises money for charity.  They do it at home, at school, in the workplace and in our case, the theatre.  It all culminates in a night of televised entertainment and comedy where hundreds of people and celebrities take part to raise money.

My wonderful group, The Canterbury Players, has already pledged £100 towards Comic Relief.  We are raising money on each of the performance nights with ticket sales and charity collection tins as well.

We have even joined Sarah Millicans' #twittermillions campaign.  I don't think I have ever been as excited on twitter as I was a couple of days ago when I realised that Sarah Millican had favourited, re-tweeted and FOLLOWED me.  Serious palpitations - I adore her. 

It is not enough though.

I have set up a fundraising page - you can go here and donate.  Go on - you know you want to!  Every little really does help - just £2 could pay for 2 children to be tested for malaria in Uganda.  The quicker the diagnosis, the better the chance of saving their lives.

That's £1 a life.

It's not much to ask - you will find more than that down the back of the sofa if you have a rummage.

Also  - look at this lot.  Look at their little faces.  How can you resist.  They are wearing red noses to get you to donate.  You know you want to.

Finally if that isn't enough to convince you, here is a puppy with the Red Nose Day pup.  How can you possibly say no to that?