A FAMOUS soprano singer says she hopes her performance at Colchester’s Mercury Theatre will inspire those battling addiction to get help.
Laura Wright, 34, is a classical soprano and popular music singer from Suffolk who was the BBC’s Chorister of the Year at only 14.
Since then, Laura has performed at numerous sporting events including the first-ever Invictus Games as well as Twickenham, the British Grand Prix, and the Grand National.
She will be performing at Colchester’s Mercury Theatre as part of a concert for the city’s Drug and Alcohol Recovery support charity Open Road.
When asked how she got involved with Open Road, Laura said that former mayor Tim Young and the charity’s media manger, got in touch to tell her about Open Road’s work.
Laura also said her work with the Soldier Arts Academy charity, inspired her to help, adding: “I teach them how to sing, and music is a really lovely way to connect and express your emotion and not have any judgement.
“I wanted to create special performance with other acts as well, where there was space for them to tell their story and hopefully raise some funds.”
Laura also said that though it is called a ‘gala’, people can “definitely dress up in all their sparkles if they want to” but the event is “equally about showing up and by buying a ticket, showing your support.”
Laura has never performed at the Mercury Theatre before, but has been to the pantomime, and said that the Open Road event would also be family-friendly with a drag violinist and a Mary Poppins tribute act also in attendance.
Laura said: “The main vehicle, if you like, is music with little moments of stillness and moments to open up the conversation.
“I think it's really important that it's open to families and to all ages because something that Open Road does is not just help those directly but helps the families and friends because so often as well, those people are really affected.”
She added: “I've seen huge changes in people who have struggled with addiction, who have struggled with mental health.
“Maybe there'll be someone in the audience who thinks that they might need some help and it might make them talk to someone about it.”
To purchase tickets visit here https://www.mercurytheatre.co.uk/event/one-night-only-open-road-fundraiser-laura-wright/ and to find out more visit https://www.openroad.org.uk/.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here