Variety Express will present its original production Curtain Call – A New Musical at St Francis' College Theatre from Thursday, October 29 to Sunday, November 1.

The volunteer-run group – the majority who come from Letchworth and the surrounding area - hopes the five performances will raise around £6,000 for Garden House Hospice Care and the Beds & Herts Emergency Critical Care Scheme (BHECCS).

The 18-strong cast of amateurs getting together for a good cause includes actors, singers and dancers accompanied by a live band.

The show has been written, produced and directed by Diane Humberstone, who will also perform in the production. It is the third Variety Express show she has produced.

She described creating a complete musical as a "steep learning curve", but said the cast had embraced the script and its combination of comedy, music and backstage drama.

The story is set inside the once-grand Meridian Theatre, where a company is preparing for a final performance as it fights to save its beloved venue from closure.

Described as "a musical about a musical", Curtain Callmarks a change from the traditional variety-show format used for many previous Variety Express productions by telling one continuous story.

Audiences can expect colourful characters, backstage chaos, big personalities and plenty of humour, alongside musical numbers and dancing.

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The production will also be a special celebration of musical director and founding member Geoff Page, who recently celebrated his 80th birthday. An accomplished musician, Geoff has been part of Variety Express since its very beginning and has played for every single one of the group's 43 productions, apart from the three years in which no show took place. And this year's production will see another very special return to the stage.

Terry Gray, one of Variety Express' other founding members and the group's first producer, will make a cameo appearance in Curtain Call. Terry served as producer for the first 18 years of the group's history and will himself soon celebrate his 80th birthday. He says he is personally very proud to see Variety Express still going strong after 46 years – something he never imagined back in 1980 when the group first began.

Variety Express staged its first production in 1980 and Curtain Call will be its 43rd show. Performances have taken place in almost every year since the group began, with the main interruptions being one missed year during the 1990s and two years without a show during the Covid pandemic.

Over that time, the group has raised more than £145,000 for local charities and good causes. Cast and crew members nominate and choose different beneficiaries each year. Anyone from any organisation can nominate a charity to be considered, cast & crew get to vote which ones are supported.

Garden House Hospice Care provides specialist care and support to people living with life-limiting illnesses across North Hertfordshire, Stevenage and the surrounding area, as well as helping their families and loved ones.

BHECCS supports emergency and critical-care services across Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, helping improve care for patients during life-threatening emergencies.

Variety Express is run entirely by volunteers, with members contributing both on stage and behind the scenes through rehearsals, costumes, props, music and fundraising.

The group is also keen to hear from potential new members who would like to take part in future productions.

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The purpose-built theatre at St Francis' College can accommodate close to 300 people. Variety Express hopes to fill it for each of the five performances, including two shows on the Saturday.

The production is recommended for audiences aged eight and over.

Adult tickets cost £14, with concessions priced at £10. A free ticket is available for carers, and the theatre bar will be open before the show starts and until the end of the interval. Limited parking is available onsite, plenty of roadside parking on Broadway & Spring Road. Designated disabled parking is available onsite

For tickets, performance times and further information, visit www.varietyexpress.org.uk.