WEST End stars will once again be helping to light up the stage when they join a host of local performers including StageSmart Musical Theatre Academy at the Cirencester Christmas Spectacular in the town's Barn Theatre on December 22.

This year's line-up of West End stars includes Olivier award winner David Thaxton (Passion), Nancy Sullivan (Les Miserables), Louis Maskell (West Side Story, The Grinning Man), Joseph Peters (Jersey Boys), Christopher Jacobsen (Les Miserables) and Olivia Brereton (Phantom Of The Opera).

Locals acts include StageSmart Musical Theatre Academy with Benn-Llewellyn Williams and Kelly-Marie Hook, The Cirencester Male Voice Choir and Theatre Ink.

All profits this year will be donated to Scrubditch Care Farm, which provides farm-based training facilities for vulnerable adults and young people with learning difficulties.

There will also be a collection for Abbey900, a festival to celebrate the 900th anniversary of Cirencester’s Augustinian Abbey of St Mary.

The Spectacular will be held in The Barn Theatre, which is currently undergoing a huge refurbishment.

Hosting and producing the show is former West End actor and StageSmart founder Iwan Lewis. He said: "Last year's Spectacular was an overwhelming success. We brought together the whole Cirencester community to a festive treat of music and theatrics, and almost immediately after the concert people were looking forward to the next one.

"The work that's being done at the Barn Theatre is some of the most exciting theatrical development in the country. Even though the launch date is still ahead of us, we feel our audience should get a sneak peek of the professional standard The Barn will have to offer.

"Our guest performers are possibly the biggest assortment of West End talent that you will see outside of London.

"All that aside, it's the stars of tomorrow that excite me the most. Having founded StageSmart almost two years ago, our young performers are really beginning to blossom.

"They're going to blow your Christmas socks off."

  •  The Cirencester Christmas Spectacular is at The Barn Theatre in Cirencester on Thursday, December 22 at 7pm. Tickets are available from stagesmart.co.uk/spectacular2016.