The online talent contest which was launched last month by the Joseph Rowntree Theatre to help provide funds for its Raise the Roof appeal has now entered its second phase.  From dozens of  entries, the ten acts which collected the most votes proceeded straight through to the next round. The following day, three more acts were “saved”, as each of the three judges was allowed to pick a wildcard entry.

Entries to the contest closed last Saturday at midnight and competition organiser Hannah Wakelam announced the results live on Facebook on Sunday evening. The ten acts going through, in no particular order, are Sam Rippon, Richard Bayton, Flo Taylor, Jess Baxter, Harvey Stevens, Florence Poskitt and Adam Sowter, Nancy Mae and Ayda Mooney, Daisy Winbolt -Robertson, Roxy Hurst and Evan Watkinson.

Taking the total number up to thirteen, lucky for them, were the wildcards chosen by judges Nathan Lodge, Amelia Urukalo and Wicked star, Laura Pick. Nathan saved Ed Atkin, Amelia rescued Abbi Watkinson, and Laura’s pick was Jordan Wright.

Graham Mitchell, the theatre’s Events and Fundraising Director says, “We’ve entered a really exciting part of the contest as each week from now on the finalists will have to fight to keep their places. Whereas when the acts first entered it was up to them what they submitted, from now on we’ll be giving them a theme to work with.  The first theme is Disney, so we are looking forward to seeing what our performers choose to come up with.”

The current round will close on August 19th, and it will be up to the judges to decide who makes it through.

Dan Shrimpton, Chair of Trustees of the charity says, “We recognise many of the acts as they’ve already performed on our stage.  What makes this competition exciting to us as a hub for community theatre across the whole of the Yorkshire region is that we’ve seen interest from farther afield than York city centre and also from a wide range of different types of acts.”

The contest is the latest in a series of fundraising events for the theatre, following on from an online fitness video, a small yard sale, the ongoing sale of face masks and, of course, the Up On The Roof virtual video, filmed at the beginning of lockdown.

To launch the Raise the Roof campaign the theatre has set up a Just Giving page and is encouraging people to donate even just the amount of a takeaway coffee.