Noma Dumezweni to Perform in Grenfell Tower Benefit Concert
In the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire, the West End community of actors has banded together to lift spirits after such a tragedy. Recent Olivier and Mousetrap Award-winner Noma Dumezweni (Hermione Granger) will be joining stars like Lin-Manuel Miranda and Dame Judi Dench at Songs and Solidarity, a concert in aid of the victims of the fire.
Dumezweni will be performing alongside a host of renowned Broadway and West End actors and creators, including Wicked’s Rachel Tucker, playwright Bonnie Greer, and composing duo Stiles and Drew. The concert is being directed by actor Giles Terera and producer Danielle Tarento and will also feature a theater-themed silent auction. Terera made this statement following the announcement:
I’m sure for all of us our immediate response is to want to try and reach out and help, either as an individual or collectively. The community that has suffered this horror has always been a strong, close[-]knit, diverse, creative one. As an artistic community we aim for those same values. At the same time it is a community [that] has been marginalized and ignored for a very long time. So as well as the vital response of trying to contribute financially and materially we have an opportunity to come together stand in solidarity with those directly affected and say this should not have happened.
All of the proceeds will be donated to the Grenfell Tower Fire Fund, which was founded by Eartha Pond to help the victims and their families. The concert is on June 25 at 7:30 p.m. GMT at Trafalgar Studios. Though we don’t yet know the details of the concert, the creators have certainly planned for an evening of song, laughter, and remembrance. It’s wonderful to hear that the arts community has stepped up to bring happiness to the darkest of times.