Thespie series of concerts dedicated to UK LGBT+ History Month

Streamed concerts will also coincide with Black History Month in the United States.

All month, the streaming service Thespie will premiere a series of events, championing Black and LGBT+ West End performers. As part of their initiatives, two new concerts will be available to stream, as well as artist talks and conversations about the theatre industry.

Upcoming concerts include Break Free, featuring a line-up of LGBT+ performers who will sing music that's shaped their careers to date. The cast includes Natasha Agnew, Paul Baker, Allie Daniel, Eloise Davis, Andrew Derbyshire, Nick Hayes, Mark Inscoe, Eleanor Kane, Millie O'Connell, Alex Thomas-Smith, Courtney Stapleton, La Voix, Andrew Patrick-Walker, Shona White, Layton Williams and Charlotte York. Break Free will premiere on 19 February, with proceeds from ticket sales being donated to Stonewall UK.

The Road to Prominence will celebrate the influence of Black creatives and artists in the United Kingdom. The brand new musical CASES will be featured as part of the concert, starring Waylon Jacobs, Bobby Little, Maiya Quansah-Breed and Andrew Patrick-Walker. The full cast includes Zoe Birkett, Adrian Hansel, Aisha Jawando and Alex Thomas-Smith. The Road To Prominence is available from 26 February, with proceeds going to Black Lives Matter UK.

As well as the concerts, there will be two conversation series where audiences can learn more about the creative process of staging West End productions. Those taking part so far include Eloise Davis, Courtney Stapleton, Millie O'Connell, Genesis Lynea, Melanie La Barrie and the cast of The Color Purple in Leicester.

More information on future Thespie concerts can be found here.

^{Photo credit: Zoe Birkett, Layton Williams and Millie O'Connell (Photos courtesy of Thespie)}