People are being asked to donate whatever they afford for a week-long stint of theatre and comedy performances from established names and up-and-coming talent.at the Arcola Theatre, to raise money to build shelters for refugees displaced in Calais.

The Crew For Calais Festival, which kicked off on Sunday night with Stewart Lee on the line-up, will see performances every night until Saturday March 12.

All proceeds, including profits on bar takings, will be used by Crew for Calais - a collective of people from the entertainment industries - to build shelters in the Calais jungle, in partnership with the A Home For Winter charity.

Jack Gamble, marketing manager of the theatre in Ashwin Street, Dalston, said: “It’s a grim situation there and it’s an important cause, we hope to do more than just get people in the theatre, we want to raise awareness too. It’s a humanitarian crisis and people need urgent help.

“The group were thinking of what they could do so help refugees, and clearly they are used to putting up sets quickly, so one of the ways they thought they could help is to go and build shelters in the Calais jungle.

“The shelters are being pulled down by the French government, it escalated last week. We oppose that, and partly why we want to support Crew for Calais is that they are helping with the reconstruction of shelters that have been torn down, but they are exploring possible places for the people to go instead.”

See the full festival listings at arcolatheatre.com/crewforcalais.