Henshall, Ball Sign on to Clear Channel Stage Experience

Popular performers Bonnie Langford (Bugsy Malone, Cats, "Doctor Who") and Honor Blackman (Goldfinger, "The Avengers") will join West End regulars Paul Spicer (Witches of Eastwick, Fame, The Notes from New York series) and Ruthie Henshall (The Woman in White, Chicago, Putting it Together) alongside Musicality and Strictly Dance Fever judge Stacey Haynes and Michael Ball (The Woman in White, Les Miserables) to form a group of patrons for the newly launched Clear Channel Stage Experience.

"Invited to serve as aspirational figureheads for participants of the scheme, all of the patrons have backgrounds in musical theatre which make them the perfect choice to support, encourage and foster the work of those involved in the initiative, which offers young people from all backgrounds the opportunity to perform or to be part of a production team in professionally produced musical shows at their local Clear Channel theatres and aims to inspire the next generation of performers and theatregoers," according to notes.

The participating patrons will offer the young performers a diversity of age and experience to draw from. Each of the patrons will take on a different role depending on their professional commitments, but generally they will assist with publicity, auditions, rehearsals and first night performances to encourage and advise the young performers, as well as assisting and advising on the future development of the scheme.

Following the success to date of Clear Channel's Summer Youth Projects initiative, the scheme was recently relaunched for 2005 onwards as the Clear Channel Stage Experience. Over half of Clear Channel's regional theatres are taking part with ten Stage Experiences happening across the UK and this number is set to rise in future years. "Clear Channel is determined to play their part in securing the long-term future of theatre in the UK and, as such, this is the only not for profit scheme of its kind run by a commercial theatre company for the benefit of young talent." The Clear Channel Stage Experience is a member of the National Association of Youth Theatres.