Raise the Roof!

Raise the Roof! is a one-night gala at the Victoria Palace Theatre on Sunday 1 November, with Bradley Walsh hosting. It's a joint effort between Elstree Studios and Denville Hall, both of which are celebrating their centenary this year. The night is being directed by Ian Talbot, with Stephen Ridley as musical director.

The line-up is a long one: Sir Ian McKellen, Robert Lindsay, Matt Henry, Harriet Thorpe, Michelle Collins, Emma Williams, Jeremy Secomb, Stefan Bednarczyk, David Benson, Bobby Crush and Jack Lane. It's a mix of names you'll recognise from the stage and screen, and the evening is a single performance, so there's only one chance to catch it.

There's a specific reason for the gala. It's raising funds for Denville Hall's £26 million Centenary Appeal. The hall opened on 19 July 1926 as a 'haven of rest' for retired actors and actresses, and today it cares for anyone in the entertainment professions, including specialised dementia care. Its Centenary Appeal is presided over by Dame Helen Mirren, Sir Ian McKellen and Daniel Radcliffe. The money is for two new assisted-living buildings, a café, restaurant, cinema, rehabilitation and yoga studio, a gym, and relandscaping the gardens for wheelchair access. Half the target, £13 million, goes to the new buildings; the other half goes to Alfred's Fund, named after founder Alfred Denville, to cover running costs for the next century. Galas have long been part of the home's story: in December 1930, the trustees held a gala matinee at the London Hippodrome in the presence of the King and Queen.

Elstree Studios is also marking 100 years as one of the UK's best-known homes of film and television production. The show starts at 7pm on Sunday 1 November at the Victoria Palace Theatre, Victoria Street, London, SW1E 5EA, with tickets from £35.