2019, London Palladium

Mary Poppins - cast of the West-End musical

Having delighted audiences around the world over the last fifteen years, Mary Poppins has just opened at the Prince Edward Theatre, making a much-anticipated return to its original West End home. Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s multi award-winning Mary Poppins has triumphantly and spectacularly brought to the stage the magical story of the world’s favourite Nanny arriving on Cherry Tree Lane. With dazzling choreography, incredible effects and unforgettable songs, the stage version of Mary Poppins is brilliantly adapted from the wonderful stories by PL Travers and the beloved original Walt Disney film. Co-created by Cameron Mackintosh, with a book by Oscar-winning screenwriter and Downton Abbey creator, Julian Fellowes, it has a timeless score by Richard M Sherman and Robert B Sherman and new songs and additional music and lyrics by the Olivier award-winning British team of George Stiles and Anthony Drewe. This evening, Zizi Strallen as Mary Poppins, Charlie Stemp as Bert and two young stars of the production are joined by Petula Clark, who will feed the birds, heading a show-stopping supercalifragilistic performance from the cast of Mary Poppins.

Robbie Williams

A true British superstar with over eighty million records sold worldwide, Robbie Williams has won more BRIT Awards than any other artist in history and is the best-selling British solo artist of all time. His twelve number one UK albums, alongside a plethora of record-breaking shows, including one for the fastest ever ticket sales in one day, highlight his enormous success as both a live performer and recording artist. This year has been another huge year for Robbie, with his first ever sold-out Las Vegas residency and release of his debut Christmas album ‘The Christmas Present’ - which features special guest appearances from Sir Rod Stewart, Bryans Adams, Jamie Cullum and Tyson Fury. “I’m excited to be part of the line up for this year’s Royal Variety Performance along with so many other talented performers from the world of entertainment. I watched the show growing up and it’s a real honour to be a part of it again, bringing some Christmas cheer from my upcoming album The Christmas Present.”

Frank Skinner

Frank Skinner has been a pre-eminent figure in the world of entertainment for nearly thirty years. On television, Frank created ‘The Frank Skinner Show’ on BBC and ITV, which is credited as setting the tone for the modern comedic chat show. With David Baddiel, Frank founded and presented ‘Fantasy Football League’ on BBC and ITV and also ITV’s ‘Baddiel and Skinner Unplanned.’ More recently, he has hosted multiple series of BBC One’s ‘Room 101’, Sky Art’s ‘Portrait/Landscape Artist of the Year’ and BBC Two’s ‘Frank Skinner’s Opinionated’, as well as numerous documentaries. His long-running Absolute Radio show has won three ARIA gold awards and in 2015 he was inducted into the Radio Academy Hall of Fame. Alongside David Baddiel and The Lightning Seeds, Frank released the song ‘Three Lions’ in 1996. In 2018, it topped the singles chart for a fourth time, cementing its place as Britain’s most iconic football anthem. Tonight, Frank takes time out from his ‘Showbiz’ tour to return to The Royal Variety stage for the first time in twenty-five years.

Cirque Du Soleil - ‘Luzia’

Known as one of the world’s leading entertainment phenomenon, Cirque du Soleil have been captivating audiences since 1984 with their breath-taking and always original acrobatic performances. Taking traditional and contemporary circus disciplines to a whole new level, they continue to bring wonder and delight to over two hundred million spectators in over 60 countries around the world. Tonight, Cirque du Soleil, a Royal Variety favourite, return with a performance taken from their enormously successful show ‘LUZIA’, which makes its European Premiere at London’s Royal Albert Hall in January. The show invites audiences to escape to an imaginary Mexico - a sumptuous world suspended between dreams and reality. The delightfully imaginative show features debut acts and astonishing new production techniques. “To be returning to The Royal Variety is a true honour and we are excited to bring a little piece of magic from ‘LUZIA.’ We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to perform and we couldn’t have asked for a better way to take us into 2020, when we will be celebrating thirty years of Cirque du Soleil in the UK.”

Colin Thackery

Sergeant Major Colin Thackery became the television sensation of the year, as ten million viewers watched the war veteran win ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ 2019. The eighty-nine year old won the competition with his heart-warming rendition of ‘Love Changes Everything’- becoming the oldest winner of the programme to date.  Colin joined the military aged fifteen, where he served as a member of Her Majesty The Queen’s army for twenty-five years. His ‘BGT’ performance was dedicated to his beloved wife Joan who sadly died in 2016. After Joan’s passing, Colin moved to the Royal Hospital Chelsea as a Chelsea Pensioner, where he brings joy to the residents with regular singalong sessions. Earlier this year, Colin also became the oldest person in the world to sign a debut solo album deal. Tonight, he will be performing ‘I Vow to Thee My Country’ from his new album ‘Love Changes Everything.’ Colin is also set to embark on a headline tour next year. “I have served Queen and country for twenty-five years. To sing in the presence of the Royal family at such a prestigious show is an honour and will put the icing on the cake.”

Flo & Joan

Flo & Joan are the multi-award winning British musical comedy duo, and sisters, Nicola and Rosie Dempsey. The piano/percussion pair have played to sold-out audiences across the UK, North America and Australia and received over fifty million views online. Their critically-acclaimed show, ‘Alive on Stage’, sold-out and added extra shows in Edinburgh and London before touring the UK through 2019. It subsequently appeared at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and the JFL Montreal Comedy Festival, before being recorded for worldwide release on Amazon Prime. Their latest show will tour the UK in 2020. They have written and performed songs for shows including Comedy Central’s ‘Rob Delaney’s Stand Up Central’, CBBC’s ‘Horrible Histories’ and BBC Radio 4’s ‘The Now Show.’  “We used to get our mum to record the Royal Variety Performance onto videos for us when we were kids, so we are so thrilled and excited to perform tonight and finally appear on one of those videos.”

Lewis Capaldi

In less than one-year, Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi has become the UK’s biggest breakthrough artist. Lewis achieved mainstream success throughout 2019 with his international breakthrough single ‘Someone You Loved’, which spent seven weeks at the top of the UK singles chart, making it one of the longest number one singles in UK chart history. The single also went on to chart in twenty-nine countries across Europe, Asia and Australia. Lewis’ debut album, ‘Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent’, spent six weeks at No 1 and was certified platinum after becoming the fastest-selling album of 2019. Lewis has performed at a number of summer festivals this year, which included a memorable set at Glastonbury. The performances come in preparation for his sold-out UK winter tour, as well as a 2020 arena tour which sold-out ahead of his album release, making him one of the first artists to ever achieve such a feat. “IIt’s a massive honour for me to be involved, it’s one of those untouchable things you always have on at home growing up, so it’s very surreal to be asked to be a part of it alll.”

Mabel

Two-time BRIT Award nominated Mabel has sold over 3.5 million singles in the UK and became the highest charting British artist earlier this year with her single ‘Don’t Call Me Up’, a track which also became the biggest-selling single by a UK female artist of 2019. Daughter of singer-songwriter Neneh Cherry and acclaimed record producer Cameron McVey - at just twenty-three years old, Mabel was one of the three BRIT Critics’ Choice finalists for the 2018 award following the success of her second single ‘Finders Keepers’- which went platinum and spent five weeks in the Top 10. Earlier this year, Mabel was also nominated for Best British Breakthrough at the 2019 BRIT Awards. Quickly paving the way to superstardom, Mabel already has over 300 million views on YouTube and over 1.3 billion streams online. Making her Royal Variety debut, tonight Mabel will be performing her hit single ‘Don’t Call Me Up.’  “I’m so excited to be performing at such a legendary event amongst so many incredible performers. It’s going to be such a special day and I can’t wait.”

Zurcaroh

Zurcaroh, an acrobatic group based in Austria, gained international recognition for their show-stopping performances on ‘America’s Got Talent’ in 2018. With their explosive routines, daring acrobatics and precise synchronicity, they captivated viewers and became host Tyra Banks’ Golden Buzzer act in the competition. With more than ten years of stage experience, forty-eight active athletes and an age range from between six to forty-years-old, Zurcaroh create magical shows through expressive dance and spectacular acrobatic components unseen anywhere else. Directed by Brazilian choreographer Peterson de la Cruz Hora, Zurcaroh pride themselves on having non-professional dancers perform for the company. Since taking part in ‘AGT’, Zurcaroh have performed at events across the globe and have flown in specially to join us tonight. “We have been lucky enough to perform all around the world but the opportunity to perform in front of royalty is truly an honour. We feel so very privileged to be showcasing new choreography especially for The Royal Variety tonight.”

Emile Sande and the Bee Vocal Choir

Singer and songwriter Emeli Sandé quickly rose to prominence after her debut album ‘Our Version of Events’ was released in 2012. The record sold over five million copies and became the biggest selling album in the UK that year, beating The Beatles record for the most consecutive weeks in the UK chart for a debut album. Her incredible career has already seen her score three UK No.1’s, four BRIT Awards, two Ivor Novello Awards and in 2018 she received an MBE for services to music.  Tonight, Emeli joins us in the midst of a UK tour to perform ‘You Are Not Alone’, a song written by Emeli from her latest album ‘Real Life.’ In a special collaboration exclusive to the Royal Variety Performance, Emeli will be joined on stage by Manchester’s Bee Vocal Choir, a group formed to help those with mental health issues and improve emotional wellbeing through music. “It’s always such an honour to be asked to perform at the legendary Royal Variety Performance. I have so many childhood memories watching all the incredible performances with my parents and I’m thrilled to be part of the evening with this very special choir tonight.”

Kerry Godliman

The charmingly straight-talking, quick-witted Kerry Godliman is one of the country’s finest performers. Both an incredibly talented comedian and a phenomenal actor, Kerry is best known for her appearances on ‘Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow’, ‘Mock The Week’, ‘Live At The Apollo’, ‘Taskmaster’ and ‘8 Out of 10 Cats.’ Kerry’s acting talents have seen her receive critical acclaim for her role as Hannah in Ricky Gervais’ hit series ‘Derek‘ for Channel 4 and most recently in Ricky Gervais’ latest smash hit Netflix series ‘After Life.’ She has also appeared in the likes of ‘Miranda’, ‘Save Me’, ‘Call the Midwife’, ‘Extras’ and the ITV sitcom ‘Bad Move’- where she starred alongside Jack Dee. Next year, Kerry embarks on her brand new stand-up tour ‘BOSH’, as well as returning for a second series in the Sky drama ‘Save Me’ and ‘After Life.’ 

Tonight, Kerry is making her Royal Variety debut. “I’m thrilled to be asked to a part of such a wonderful historical evening of entertainment for a fantastic charity.”

Luke Evans

Welsh sensation Luke Evans is a world-renowned star who has enjoyed enormous success on both stage and screen. Luke began his illustrious career performing in many of London’s West End productions such as ‘Rent’, ‘Miss Saigon’ and ‘Avenue Q’, before landing roles in Hollywood blockbusters such as ‘The Girl on The Train’, ‘The Hobbit’ and the ‘Fast & Furious’ franchise. Despite his obvious musical prowess, it wasn’t until 2017 that the world got to witness Luke’s stunning vocal capabilities. Luke sang for the first time on screen as villain Gaston alongside Emma Watson as Belle in Disney’s much lauded adaptation of ‘Beauty and the Beast.’ After signing his first ever record deal with BMG earlier this year, tonight Luke will be performing ‘Love Is a Battlefield’ from his debut album ‘At Last’ which is available now. “It is an incredible honour for me to be asked to sing at this year’s Royal Variety Performance. Never in my dreams could I have imagined that one day I would be appearing on one of our nation’s most revered royal performances and I am thrilled to be a part of it.”

Come From Away - cast of the West-End musical

Winner of four prestigious Olivier Awards, including Best New Musical, ‘Come from Away’ has taken the West End by storm, as well as continuing record-breaking engagements on Broadway, across America, in Canada and Australia. ‘Come from Away’ received its world premiere on Broadway in 2017, after which it was nominated for seven Tony Awards before transferring to London’s West End earlier this year. Now playing to nightly standing ovations at the Phoenix Theatre, this joyous musical has received enormous critical acclaim. Based on a true story of a small town in Canada, ‘Come from Away’ tells the incredible journey of the seven thousand air passengers from all over the world who were grounded in Canada in the hours following 9/11. The show explores the small tight knit community in Gander, Newfoundland, that invited these ‘come from aways’ into their lives in the days following those events and how their stories became a celebration of hope, humanity and unity.

The Kanneh-Masons

The Kanneh-Masons are seven extraordinarily talented musical siblings who have been dubbed ‘the most talented family in the world.’ The family of musical prodigies comprise of Isata (23) on piano, Braimah (22) on violin, Sheku (20) on cello, Konya (19) on Violin, Jeneba (17) on Cello, Aminata (14) on violin and the youngest Mariatu (10) on the cello. Last year Sheku made his Royal Variety debut and captivated audiences with his enchanting performance. This year he’s been invited to return to perform with his six siblings. The multi award-winning family now have a string of accomplishments. Isata released a chart-topping album which reached No.1 in the classical charts, Braimah played with Grammy winning pop band Clean Bandit and Sheku - winner of the 2016 BBC Young Musician competition - famously performed at the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s wedding in front of a worldwide audience of 1.9 billion people. “It is an honour to be able to share the stage with each other on such a prestigious occasion. It’s a moment we will always remember.”

Groan Ups - cast of the West-End musical

Having made their television debut on The Royal Variety Performance in 2015 with ‘The Play That Goes Wrong’, Mischief Theatre have gone from strength to strength, winning an Olivier Award, a Tony Award, two BroadwayWorld Awards and playing in every continent on earth (except Antarctica, that’s avoided for fear of a frosty reception). 

Now Mischief Theatre return with ‘Groan Ups’, which follows a group of unruly six-year-olds through school, teenage years and into adulthood. Directed by Kirsty Patrick Ward, it’s the first show in a West End residency at the Vaudeville Theatre featuring writers Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields, alongside original Mischief members; Dave Hearn, Charlie Russell and Nancy Zamit plus Bryony Corrigan and George Haynes. Mischief Theatre will also appear soon in an original BBC TV series entitled ‘The Goes Wrong Show.’ “The Royal Variety gave us our TV debut back in 2015 and we are honoured to return, presenting the opening scene of our new West End hit ‘Groan Ups.’ It’s again a delight to perform for this great charity, which does such wonderful work.”

Harry Connick Jr.

Three Grammys, two Emmys, two Tony Award nominations and sales of over twenty-eight million albums – these are just some of the accolades Harry Connick Jr. has to his name. Growing up in New Orleans, Harry studied piano with keyboard legends James Booker and Ellis Marsalis and after moving to New York in his teenage years, he quickly made his Columbia Records debut. Harry has since gone on to have thirteen number one jazz albums, as well as multi-platinum success with his soundtrack to the film ‘When Harry Met Sally.’ A celebrated actor, Harry has also made a name for himself on screen, starring in the World War II drama ‘Memphis Belle’, blockbuster ‘Independence Day’ and the hit American sitcom ‘Will and Grace.’  Tonight, Harry will be performing ‘True Love’ from his latest album ‘True Love: A Celebration of Cole Porter.’ Comprised exclusively of Cole Porter compositions, ‘True Love’ highlights Harry’s talents as a pianist, singer, arranger, orchestrator and conductor.

Jamie Cullum & Robbie Williams

Jamie Cullum is a global success story and the most successful UK jazz artist ever.

Obsessed with music from an early age, Jamie gained acclaim for his broad mix of jazz, melodic pop and rock after releasing albums ‘Pointless Nostalgic’ and ‘Twentysomething’, the latter of which earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Vocal Album. Jamie has sold over ten million albums and has established himself as an award-winning music broadcaster. His BBC Radio 2 show ‘The Jazz Show with Jamie Cullum’ is hugely successful, attracting guests such as Clint Eastwood and Sir Paul McCartney. Jamie’s latest album ‘Taller’ was released earlier this year and he is set to embark on a tour in spring 2020, which includes two shows at The Palladium.

Tonight, Robbie Williams comes back on to Royal Variety stage for the second time to collaborate with Jamie on a festive favourite to close the show!

“The Royal Variety is a wonderful tradition for the whole household to watch together. It’s a beautifully curated, fun and entertaining show, one which I’m delighted to be a part of alongside Robbie Williams to deliver something really special.”