THE finest talent from Essex and beyond came together at Little Easton's Barn Theatre on Saturday to support the campaign against Stansted expansion.
More than 150 turned up to the sell-out show, raising around £2,000 for SSE's second runway fighting fund. Some 17 acts took the stage, providing a wide variety of entertainment from music and comedy to magic acts and dance routines.
Among those watching the show was "Her Majesty the Queen" - or rather actress Jeanette Charles, who has played the monarch in such popular films as
Austin Powers: Goldmember and
The Naked Gun.
Most performers - some amateur, some professional - came from within the [Observer] area, with a few extra coming from further afield.
The bill included Bishop's Stortford musician Keef Jackman, who runs the highly successful Acoustic Club at the town's Half Moon pub, and former music teacher Liz Kadir, of Stansted, who showed off her talents on the French horn.
Dunmow singer and guitarist Laura Kearns performed a song she had written called
I Won't Let Them Take My Home From Me, which reflected many residents' concerns about the future of their area.
The show was the brainchild of Broxted resident Irene Jones, who has been campaigning against the expansion of Stansted Airport for more than 30 years.
She said: "We started auditions in January, and it was difficult at times because people have jobs and we couldn't always get everyone together for rehearsals at the same time.
"The Barn Theatre is a particularly appropriate location, as it is threatened by expansion at Stansted. I didn't know how popular this evening would be, but after it sold out I just wish I'd arranged it to run for more than just one night!
"We had no problem selling the tickets at all. People have been very supportive - they want to come and have a good time, but they also want to show their support for the cause.
"Fund-raising events like this help us to cement our belief as a community in what we are doing."