A woman who scored a big Lotto win has donated some of her cash to help propel an anti-bullying musical from Witney to the West End.
Charmaine Watson, who scooped £2.3m in the Lottery in 2005, has donated £20,000 to the production of Stand Tall.
The musical was conceived in 2009 as an anti-bullying show, which was originally performed at Witney Corn Exchange.
But, after it won the Princess Diana award in 2010 for its efforts at promoting anti-bullying, it was picked up by a West End producer.
It has since been rewritten to give it the necessary stardust and will get its London premiere at the Landor Theatre, in Clapham, on Wednesday, October 12, where it will run for five weeks.
Producers hope it could hit the West End next year.
Mrs Watson said: “I got bullied as a child and this musical won anti-bullying awards so it means a lot to me that I can help it.
“I hope it will give peace of mind to people who have been bullied.”
Mrs Watson attended Bartholomew School in Eynsham.
According to the show’s website, the story is based on the biblical tale of David and Goliath but retold in a current day-to-day setting.
It says: “Gone is the sling and stone, David now has an electric guitar.”
Producer Mike Dove, of Shrill Productions, which also runs the Witchwood School of Rock, said: “It would have been impossible without the donation.
“Because it is a professional production we need investment – no investment meant no show.”
Mr Dove said the musicals rise to success had been “surreal”.
He said: “We have gone from doing a production in Witney with a cast of really good, but amateur, youngsters to being in a professional production with a full cast of West End actors.”
Mrs Watson has previously donated some of her winnings to Oxford Children’s Hospital at the John Radcliffe and last year presented youngsters with a giant advent calendar loaded with toys.
tjennings@oxfordmail.co.uk l For more information on the musical, visit standtallmusical.co.uk or landortheatre.co.uk. The show ends on November 12.
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