Actor Jamie Muscato has led the cast of Moulin Rouge! The Musical in praising the "tireless" front-of-house team at London’s Piccadilly Theatre following their win as part of this year’s The Stage Awards.
In a video posted to the Piccadilly Theatre’s Instagram account (@piccadillytheatre) on Thursday evening, Muscato, who plays Christian in the show, took centre stage with the cast to thank the theatre’s front-of-house team, pointing out that they were among the winners of the Unsung Hero Award at The Stage Awards 2023. The award honoured all front-of-house workers.
Muscato said: "For the second year running, The Stage’s Unsung Hero Award has been won by a group instead of an individual and this year our front-of-house team and front-of-house teams across the West End have won that award for going over and above [with] the amount of work they have been doing through the pandemic welcoming audiences back to the theatre."
Pointing to members of the front-of-house team in the auditorium as he spoke, he added: "They work absolutely tirelessly, they are incredible and we couldn’t do what we do without them."
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The front-of-house team received a standing ovation from the audience.
This year’s award, presented at The Stage Awards on January 30 at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, recognised front-of-house staff for their work at the front line of the industry’s recovery from Covid.
Jill Doyle-Davidson from the Savoy Theatre in London, Sheila Howarth from Leeds Playhouse and James ’Jim’ Whaite from the Octagon Theatre in Bolton collected the award on behalf of staff across the UK.
On collecting the award, Whaite said it was a "special award" for all front-of-house staff, with Howarth adding that everyone should be able to call the theatre their home.
She said: "That is why we work in the theatre, to give them something they are missing. To give them an experience of life."
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