Celebrities line up for star-studded Brum virtual extravaganza

Brum’s Big Black Tie Bash is an evening of show-stopping performances with appearances from some of the city’s leading chefs and familiar faces to raise money for the NHS and talented local musicians and performers.

On Easter Sunday, April 12, celebrities including Christopher Biggins, Jaki Graham, Shazia Mirza and Doreen Tipton will be streamed live into people’s living rooms as part of a three-hour show.

Hosted by Phil Oldershaw, the digital black tie bash will bring a little light relief to lockdown, encouraging friends and families to enjoy the streamed spectacular 'together' while in their own homes.

Michelin star chefs Glynn Purnell and Aktar Islam, as well as Great British Menu star Alex Claridge, will serve up the perfect remedy for a fortnight indoors.

Around 100 performers will take part in the show, which will boast a mixed of live-streamed and pre-recorded performances; featuring pianists, singers, acoustic guitarists and saxophonists.

Performers from ‘The Greatest Showman’, which debuted at Marco Pierre White Birmingham last summer, will bring contortionists, snake charming, fire breathing and trapeze artists to viewer’s screens.

Performances

There will also be stints from comedy legends, a gospel choir, and even a 50-piece orchestra, whose solo home performances will be brought together.

Brum’s Big Black Tie Bash is the brainchild of Ben and Chloe Grey, the husband and wife duo behind Elegant Entertainment, and delivered in partnership with host Phil Oldershaw.

Ben said: “We’re all living through a pretty crazy time at the moment and it’s hard on everyone, for different reasons. We wanted to do something that brought a little light relief to people’s lives; three hours to sit back and enjoy some incredible performances, alongside food and drink demos, but in a way that we can all feel like we’re together again!

"Being a virtual show gives us loads of flexibility in terms of both live and pre-recorded performances, and it means that we can really push people to get on social media and share their evening with friends, family and fellow viewers.

"It’s also a chance for us performers to get back out there; it’s set to be a very quiet, and somewhat challenging, few months with no revenue coming in. By charging a nominal amount for 'tickets' we can help performers, who love to entertain people, earn a bit of money. Plus, we’re also donating some of the sales direct to the real heroes of Covid-19 – the NHS.”

Brum’s Big Black Tie Bash will stream on Facebook via a private link, which can be accessed once tickets have been purchased. Priced at £15 per household they are available via Eventbrite and Design My Night, or by visiting the event page on Facebook.