A THEATRE school in Basingstoke has raised over £2,000 for charity following a bumper evening of performances.

Students from Stagecoach Basingstoke West Theatre School, based at Cranbourne Business and Enterprise College, and Stagecoach Basingstoke Theatre School, based at Sherfield School, held a gala evening raising £2,080 for Hook-based charity, Glad’s House.

Professional performers joined 58 students aged between six and 18 at the evening full of music and acting.

A raffle also helped raise funds, with prizes from various Basingstoke businesses.

Glad’s House was set up by former Stagecoach pupil, Victoria Ferguson, after she took a trip to Mombasa, in Kenya and saw the poor conditions that local children grew up in.

The charity helps reunite children with their families or place children in foster homes and return them into full-time education.

Helen Watts, principal of the Stagecoach Basingstoke West Theatre School, told The Gazette: “I am chuffed to bits and I am so proud of the children.

“It took an enormous amount of work. It took them out of their comfort zone and they were amazing on the day.”