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Jack Baugh and Katie Wilson perform at The Hazlitt Theatre in Maidstone

What can you do if you are a performer and all the theatres are closed?

The answer for two young local singers was to persuade the management of the Hazlitt Theatre in Maidstone to let them in so they could perform a song on stage and then post it on Youtube.

Katie Wilson and Jack Baugh at the Hazlitt
Katie Wilson and Jack Baugh at the Hazlitt

Jack Baugh, 26, from Loose, and Katie Wilson, 20, from West Malling, filmed their performance of You Matter To Me from the West End show, Waitress.

Performers have been unable to work since the Government brought down the curtain on entertainment venues, but the pair were given special permission to visit the Hazlitt Theatre in Earl Street for a one-off performance.

Mr Baugh was due to start work as a performer on a Caribbean cruise over the summer. He said: “Thinking of the theatre being empty, especially over the Christmas period, is absolutely heart-breaking.

"The pantomime is such an important tradition, not just for the performers, but for the families who attend every year."

Miss Wilson said: “As much as this has been a creative release for us, it’s also very much intended as a supportive message to our peers in the performing arts."

Empty seats at the Hazlitt
Empty seats at the Hazlitt

“What we do really does have value and will be even more important when we are finally able to return to performing for the public.

“So, let’s pull together and give each other the support we all need, because you all matter to us.”

In the past, Mr Baugh has performed at the Global Village in Dubai, appeared in Rita Ora's Soccer Aid Half Time Show, been on the Ellesse Fashion Show, entertained aboard MSC Cruises, been in a Samsung advert, and appeared in Lazy Town Live.

Miss Wilson has appeared on stage at Lyceum Theatre, the Hackney Empire, the O2 and performed across Europe on Marella cruise ships.

The video was filmed by Mr Baugh's brother, Dan.

You can watch the video here.

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