Roles We’ll Never Play returns to Lyric Theatre for LGBTQ+ IVF fundraiser

The long-running concert series Roles We’ll Never Play will return on 1 June at the Lyric Theatre, featuring West End performers in atypical roles to raise funds for an LGBTQ+ IVF campaign. The event offers a unique night of theatre with a charitable cause at its heart.

Roles We’ll Never Play is set for a one-night performance at the Lyric Theatre on 1 June at 7.30pm. The concert showcases 20 West End performers stepping outside their usual casting to take on roles they would not typically play.

This year’s event is organised as an LGBTQ+ IVF fundraiser, supporting the self-funded fertility treatment journey of producers Josie Kemp and Lauren Soley. The couple met while performing in Les Misérables and are raising money towards IVF costs estimated at over £35,000.

The evening will be hosted by Lee Peart and includes performers such as Desmonda Cathabel, Kitty Scott-Claus, Erin Caldwell, Idriss Kargbo, Sejal Keshwala, Alice Fearn, alongside Lauren Byrne and Holly Anne-Hull from Remember Monday. Additional casting details are yet to be confirmed.

Tom Duern produces the concert with Nik Haukohl, Josie Kemp, and Lauren Soley, all of whom are volunteering their time. Soley and Kemp expressed their gratitude for the generosity shown by the theatre community, calling it “incredibly special” and “truly uplifting.”

Tickets for the concert are currently on sale. The event not only promises a night of theatrical variety but also highlights the challenges of accessing fertility treatment for LGBTQ+ individuals under existing NHS guidelines.

Roles We’ll Never Play continues to blend artistic innovation with social causes, drawing support from performers and audiences committed to raising awareness and funds in the theatrical community.