Lip sync dance battle at Gracepoint theatre will raise funds for children affected by cancer to attend Hackney theatre school

Adults who have never before taken to the stage in their lives, will perform in a lip sync choreographed dance battle tonight, to raise money for children affected by cancer to attend theatre school themselves.

Anna Fiorentini wants to fund bursaries for children who might have cancer themselves, or whose parents are afflicted, to attend her Theatre and Film School at Clapton Girls’ Academy.

She was inspired after her close friend Henry Cumming died of cancer last year.

Anna told the Gazette: “I promised Henry that I would give one child a year affected by cancer a free place in his name.

“That I’m giving anyway out of “my pocket” as it were. But it did inspire me to raise more for other kids in the same situation.

“It was so sad seeing Henry in his last few months and I was feeling so helpless. Hence I offered the one thing I was able to - a legacy in his name.”

The 20 adults she has gathered have had six hours of tuition over the past three weeks to nail a choreographed routine for the lip sync dance battle.

Tonight they will perform them to tunes from the 60s, 70s and 80s at the converted art deco cinema Gracepoint, in Essex Road, Islington.

Tickets for the show which starts at 7.30pm cost £15. See www.stageandthecity.com/charity-extravaganza/.