One Party, Two Whingers: The 5th Annual West End Whingers Party 2011

Ooops. This had fallen down the back of the Whingers’ metaphorical sofa and now seems – strikingly like the Whingers themselves – almost ancient history.

But we were brought up in the distant days when writing thank-you letters was basic manners and although in our defence there has been much thanks given privately, the wonderful people who supported us must be publicly recognised.

How did it go? Do you expect us to remember anything about the evening at all? Gosh, we could barely recall it the next day let alone several weeks later.

Anyway, the highlight, as ever was the raffle.

Our eternal thanks go to the generous donators of the raffle prizes:

• Angela Hyde-Courtenay at The Audience Club: one year’s free membership
• The Charing Cross Theatre for Fascinating Aïda: Cheap Flights tickets
• Seabright Productions Ltd for Showstopper The Improvised Musical and Potted Panto tickets.
• The New Wimbledon Theatre for tickets to Dick Whittington starring Dame Edna Everage.
• Sonia Friedman Productions for Legally Blonde tickets
• The National Theatre for tickets for One Man, Two Guvnors at the Adelphi Theatre.
• Ian Kelly for not merely supplying a drawing he created live on stage in The Pitmen Painters, but the actual one drawn on the opening night at the Duchess Theatre recently (right). And for then going one step further by donating another from the 2nd night for someone who was so desperate to win it (and didn’t) which increased the money raised for Theatre Mad not inconsiderably.

Other, less coveted prizes included TWO unsolicited and unwanted SHREK THE MUSICAL brochures, two newly invested DAME BARS (Dame Janet Suzman and Dame Harriet Walter), A LIMITED EDITION West End Whingers T-Shirt left over from last year which no-one wanted, A T-SHIRT from the Southport Theatre sponsored by WALLS (the sausage people), Paul Daniels’ used POLO MINTS and half a playing card as featured on-stage in Edinburgh with Phil, A selection of West End Whingers old DAME BARS including Liz, Eileen & Julie plus miscellaneous unsolicited and sadly unwanted musical theatre CDs Shrek, Matilda, Ghost etc.

Special thanks to Mike Robertson (left) whose raffle ticket-pulling was accompanied by some surprisingly salty running commentary. Although we’ve always been very fortunate with our luminary drawers this was the first time we’ve had an actual Olivier Award-winner (lighting for Sunday in the Park with George) picking tickets out of a bucket.

We also owe great thanks to Margie Keedy and Dot Keedy for printing posters, the wonderful staff at Cafe Koha, everyone who helped sell the raffle tickets. And everyone who turned up – it would have been very embarrassing if you hadn’t come. And to those who didn’t show up was your reason better than this hugely appropriate, doesn’t-sound-genuine-but-is excuse?: “Unfortunately, I’m going to be in Vermont with Sue Perkins and the Von Trapp family from The Sound of Music .”

The evening raised £395.10 for the Theatre Make A Difference Trust.

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