Stars of Rotherham raise £3,000 for Mayor's charities

Eighteen acts made up of hundreds of singers and dancers took to the Civic Theatre stage for the STARS! charity night on Saturday.

An audience of more than 350 enjoyed performers ranging from young dancers to 70-year-old singers.

Organiser Christine Ayres said: “It was fantastic to see all of the marvellous talent Rotherham has got on show.

“Everyone came out and said what a great night they’d had. Everyone was a winner - the acts, the audience and the charities.”

Money raised will go towards the Mayor’s charities - the Alzheimer’s Society, the Rotherham branch of the National Autistic Society and Guide Dogs for the Blind.

Despite other media reports that the event “descended into chaos” when a drunken member of the audience had to be evicted from the theatre, Ms Ayres insisted that was not the case.

She said: “It didn’t descend into chaos at all. 

“Nobody had to leave their seats.

“There was a drunk woman sitting at the front and other audience members told her to be quiet because she was being quite disgusting.

“The stage manager decided to have an early interval and she was taken out of the theatre and that was it.”

Performers included dance groups from the schools of Gillian Banks, Alex Hans and Janet Mitchell, conjuror David Mitchell and comedian Roger Hazelwood.

Ms Ayres said: “We had 18 acts in total and we got through them like a steam train - it was so well co-ordinated.

“I have been organising the event for years now and I just think it is a fantastic way to raise money because we have got so much fantastic talent in Rotherham.”