Luton youth theatre's Beverley Knight act prompts donations

Luton's NGYT theatre group was chosen to take part in the Big Night of Musicals by the National Lottery

A theatre group for young people said it had seen a "flurry of donations" after appearing on a BBC TV show.

Next Generation Youth Theatre (NGYT) in Luton performed alongside soul singer Beverley Knight on the National Lottery's Big Night of Musicals.

NGYT co-founder Laura Lloyd said the performance showed "diversity in the true sense of the word".

She said the money would help to cover the cost of sessions for those who could not afford to pay fees.

"Making the arts accessible to as many young people as possible has always been the mission," NGYT said in a tweet.

Members of NGYT met Beverley Knight at their theatre group in Luton

NGYT offers theatre, dance and arts sessions and its patrons include actor Colin Salmon and writer Jack Thorne.

Ms Lloyd said the company previously received National Lottery funding for a project in 2019.

She said the company "often ask parents to donate a bit extra" to go towards free places for other children, and also received donations from "friends of NGYT".

"It's lovely to have money from people who don't know the group," she added.

"We have to cover the cost of hiring a venue, insurance, and paying staff members."

Singer Beverley Knight was accompanied by members of Luton's NGYT group

"We had a flurry of donations after the show, and someone from Manchester who works in theatre wrote to us, really impressed with the children, and is going to make a donation," added Ms Lloyd.

She believes the diversity of the group was of particular interest to the production company.

"Every different person was represented. It was really important to be able to see yourself as a young person on that stage and go 'I can do that'," she remarked.

"That was their big thing - they wanted to show they are proud of being from Luton."