Childish Things 7 - New Theatre Oxford, February 7th & 8th, 2011.
In 2011 we are coming back with a vengeance and will be presenting two nights of Childish Things at the New Theatre to be hosted by Jimmy Carr on February 7th and 8th 2011. We promise you another star-studded night of comedy and music.
Due to the overwhelming demand this year we suggest that you book early to avoid disappointment! Tickets priced from £21-£31 are available now at Ticketmaster 0844 847 1585 or www.newtheatreoxford.org.uk.
Gold Tickets priced at £50 to include the best seats in the house plus an interval drink are available by ringing 0844 372 7272.
Tickets can also be purchased at our own shops in Abingdon, Thame, Wallingford, Oxford and Witney where the £1.50 booking fee goes direct to the charity.
For cast updates and more information follow us on Twitter @helenanddouglas, find us on Facebook, and check back here.
A little bit of history......
The first Childish Things was held way back in 2004 and was the brainchild of actor Tom Hollander, whose niece is a visitor to Helen House.
He decided he wanted to do something to help raise funds for the hospice so got some of his friends together for a one-off benefit evening at the Oxford Playhouse. Little did we know when he set about this what would follow!
That initial show was more than any of us could have dreamed of - Jeremy Irons, Sinead Cusack, Sir John Mortimer, Griff Rhys Jones, Hugh Laurie, Steve Coogan, Mel & Sue, Sir Michael Gambon, Jamie Theakston were just a few of the famous faces that appeared that night. We even had Bill Nighy singing the final number, accompanied by Radiohead! For some the highlight was when Jude Law removed the shirt he was wearing to be used as an additional auction item! All in all, the seed was sown for what has since become one of Oxford’s best kept secrets.
After a move to the larger New Theatre, Childish Things has become a landmark on the Oxford theatre calendar. Each year we set about asking a new list of performers - some years we don’t know our final line-up until the week before the show, which can be nerve-wracking!
The role call reads like the Who’s Who of British Comedy: Jimmy Carr, Rob Brydon, Bill Bailey, Jo Brand, and Sean Lock are just a handful of the headline names that Childish Things audiences have enjoyed. We staged the only live QI on stage, when Stephen Fry and Alan Davies hosted the popular show exclusively as part of the evening’s entertainment. We have forged a strong link with Oxford’s amazing acapella group, Out of the Blue, who one year flew back specially from the United States in order to do the show, some of them walking through the Stage Door quite literally 30 seconds before they were due on stage! One of the biggest surprises for our loyal supporters was the year when Rowan Atkinson joined us to do stand-up, and was a total surprise to the audience. There was an audible gasp when he appeared in a spotlight on the stage, before an enormous barrage of applause!
In 2010, we raised a record £47,000 from Childish Things!
