AIDSfree: Take That gala performance at new West End musical raises £500,000 for our Christmas appeal

Take That helped to raise almost £500,000 for The Independent’s AIDSfree appeal – and said working with the campaign for the opening night of their West End musical was a “no-brainer”.

Gary Barlow, Robbie Williams, Mark Owen and Howard Donald made a rare live appearance together on stage on Tuesday night as they pledged their support to our Christmas appeal.

The star-studded one-off charity gala was held at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in support of the Elton John AIDS Foundation and The Independent’s AIDSfree appeal. In total the evening raised about £470,000, with pledges still coming in.

The show was hosted by Sir Elton’s husband David Furnish, with Graham Norton as master of ceremonies. Seats in the stalls were cleared to make way for dinner tables, with guests served pan-seared cod with sea fennel and dessert canapés including a gateau of vanilla mousseline.

Taron Egerton – playing Sir Elton in a biopic out next year, David Walliams and Elizabeth Hurley were among the crowd watching the first West End performance of The Band. The musical is based on Take That’s greatest hits and has already toured the UK.

When the cast left the stage to a standing ovation, Barlow, Williams, Owen and Donald appeared on stage to end the night with a performance of their hit “The Flood”. Barlow, 47, said: “We’ve been friends with Elton since 1993. When you see the unbelievable work he has done – he has changed the world. Tonight has been an absolute pleasure for us. When the idea came up it was an absolute no-brainer. It felt perfect.

“When you see someone who has been so passionate for so long, not just for a couple of years because it’s fashionable, someone who has absolutely tirelessly dedicated his life to raising money, you just want to be a part of it.”

Donald, 50, revealed he had been personally affected by the disease, saying: “I had a good friend between 1996 and 2006. He was such a beautiful and lovely man, and unfortunately he passed away with Aids and it was very sad.”

Williams also credited Sir Elton for being a long-time mentor of Take That. He said: “He has shaped our lives too. When we first met him and we went to his house, it blew our minds and it changed the trajectory of how we viewed everything. So if we can give back anything to his charity, then we’re more than glad to do it.”

He added: “When I’m with the boys it feels like coming home. It beams out of us and it feels good.”

The Band has been produced by award-winning duo David Pugh and Dafydd Rogers, as well as Barlow, Donald, Owen and Williams. Its stars include the winners of the BBC’s Let It Shine talent show broadcast last year.

The musical tells the story of five female friends, opening when they are 16 and obsessed with a boyband, then rejoining them in their 40s.

Tuesday’s event also featured a charity auction with lots including the Versace couture dress worn on the evening by Hurley, tickets to Sir Elton and Furnish’s annual Oscars party, and a two-night stay for two at the Royal Suite at The Savoy. “We are delighted to be part of the Evening Standard and Independent's Christmas appeal, supporting this incredibly worthwhile charity,” the hotel’s managing director Philip Barnes said.

Furnish, 56, said: “I’ve never been to anything like this tonight – it’s really special.” He added: “We have to keep going. We can’t just raise the money and stop. If we are going to see an end to Aids in 2030 we have to be consistent and concerted with our efforts.”

The amount raised on Tuesday night will be doubled by the government as part of the UK Aid Match funding.