A different surprise behind door number 5! A ‘Dog Of Xmas’ is wanted for a Christmas show to star with Harry Shearer, Stephen Merchant, Elizabeth McGovern, Judith Owen, Chris Difford and many more.
Comedian-actor-satirist Harry Shearer (Spinal Tap, The Simpsons) and his musician-singer-songwriter wife Judith Owen are searching for the “Dog Of Xmas” to appear in Christmas Without Tears, a charity evening of music, comedy and variety taking place at King’s Place Concert Hall, London on December 8th 2016.
Dog owners who fancy their beloved pooch as the next star of the stage should tweet a Christmassy attired pic of their canine and she/he could be picked to join the cast on December 8 as the ‘Dog of Xmas’.“Besides, don’t we all just want to look at photos of dogs in antlers?!” said Judith.
Tweet @Hamandhigh and @JudithOwen with a picture by December 6.
The ‘Dog Of Xmas’ will join a formidable list of special guests including writer, director, radio presenter, comedian, actor and star of Extras and The Office Stephen Merchant, Oscar, Golden Globe and Grammy nominated actress of Downton Abbey, Elizabeth McGovern, Grammy and Emmy winning producer and instrumentalist Kipper Eldridge (known for his work with Sting), Jacqui Dankworth, one of the most highly regarded vocalists in the UK, and Memphis treasure jazz pianist/singer Charlie Wood.
They are joined by Chris Difford, co-founder of Squeeze, and singer songwriter and BBC Radio 2 favourite Nell Bryden and the rocking American singer and boogie-woogie pianist extraordinaire Doña Oxford.
Adding to the Christmas feast of talent come lords of the London jazz scene The Kansas Smitty’s House Band, one fiddler fiddling in the shape of the classical violinist with attitude, Lizzie Ball and Classical Kicks, Brazilian drummer and percussionist Pedro Segundo, the most versatile and exciting cellist of her generation Gabriella Swallow, the country singer, poster girl of American democracy and global brand that is Tina C, all topped off with a partridge in a pear tree – darling of the airwaves, lifestyle guru for the over-eighties Barry From Watford, aka the superlative Alex Lowe.
As Harry Shearer tells it,
“the show started as a party in our home to try to comfort Judith, a Welsh woman prone to melancholia, who could not stand that the fact that Christmas in Southern California was about 78 degrees and sunny.”
What began as a humble holiday house party to chase away Judith’s yuletide blues became a charity event and performance in 2005 when they staged it to aid the people of New Orleans after Katrina. This year’s shows in London, Chicago, LA and NOLA will benefit a variety of different charities raising money for the homeless, mental health and musician’s assistance (USA shows)
Guests in previous years have included Tim Minchin, Alfie Boe, Richard Thompson and Maureen Lipman.
Christmas Without Tears will be performed on 8 December 2016, starting at 8pm, at Kings Place Hall 1, 90 York Way, London, N1 9AG. Contact the box office on 020 7520 1490 or http://www.kingsplace.co.uk. Ticket prices £24.50 Standard, £39.50 VIP post show private meet and greet.
Visit the following for further details.
kingsplace.co.uk harryshearer.com judithowen.com
