Now in its fifth year, West End Bares sees performers from across the heart of London’s West End volunteering to put on a show and strip in aid of the Make A Difference Trust (MAD Trust) - the entertainment industry charity dedicated to helping people living with HIV and AIDS in the UK and Sub-Saharan Africa.
The all-star line-up of guest presenters for this year’s show includes Jake Canuso, James Dreyfuss, Matt Evers, Jill Halfpenny, Helen Lederer and Harriet Thorpe. West End Bares was the brainchild of Broadway and West End director/choreographer Jerry Mitchell who began the American version over 25 years ago in New York during the middle of the HIV and AIDS pandemic. The London edition began five years ago when Darren worked with Jerry on Legally Blonde. West End Bares has raised more than £100,000 for the MAD Trust over the past four years. The event aims to promote safe sex and raise awareness about the HIV and AIDS climate that we now live in.
Darren is currently a swing in Jerry Mitchell’s West End production of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at the Savoy Theatre. He is also the production’s associate choreographer. He previously worked as the resident choreographer in Ghost the Musical and as the dance captain in Viva Forever! (both Piccadilly).
Darren’s theatre credits also include: Legally Blonde (Savoy), La Cage Aux Folles (Playhouse), Candide (ENO), The Lord of the Rings (Drury Lane), Guys and Dolls (Piccadilly), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (National), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Palladium), The Witches of Eastwick (Prince of Wales), Fosse (Prince of Wales), Chicago (Adelphi), Cats (Cyprus), Debbie Does Dallas (Oxford Old Fire Station), Beauty and the Beast (RSC, Stratford-Upon-avon) and Saturday Night Fever (UK Tour).
I recently spoke to Darren about making West End Bares one of the biggest events in the theatrical calendar, why he loves this year’s ‘Nudedunnit?!’ theme, life in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and why Jerry Mitchell is one of the most inspirational people he has ever met…
West End Bares is back and it’s bigger and better than ever before. What have you got up your sleeve for this year’s show?
We’ve gone bigger with the story this year. We always have our numbers based around a central theme, but because we’re doing the murder mystery theme this year we can incorporate a little bit more story so we’re branching out a bit! There will be all the numbers, all the nakedness and then there will also be a little bit of a story to follow which is great.
