Last night, Uppingham Theatre was filled by locals ready for a comedic celebration of all things Rutland. 

Written and hosted by the charismatic and delightfully quick-witted Henry Dawe, Cheer Upp! was a massive success, both for Henry and the Rutland Music Video Project, which the event is raising funds for. 

Joined on stage by Emily Jane Brooks, Cami Carter, Sandy Thompson and Ben Walsh, Dawe presented a delightful evening of radio-style comedy crammed full of clever wordplay and local puns.

The cast (pictured) from left to right was Ben Walsh, Cami Carter, Henry Dawe, Emily Jane Brooks and Sandy Thompson. (Photo: Grace Kennington)

The talented use of accents and cleverly sculpted language created a real feel of joyous playfulness. Dawe's writing evokes a real feeling of classic comedy with timeless jokes mixed with quick-witted observations of the modern day. 

The show consisted of a series of shorter and longer sketches performed by varying numbers of the cast, with both halves having opening and closing sections performed by Dawe. 

After the show, one audience member said: "it was really enjoyable, congratulations to Henry."

A couple, who came from Stamford to watch the show, said: "We had a really great time, it was really quick witted and slick," going on to describe it as a show of "good old-fashioned comedy," that was "Tim Vine-esque."

The show attracted quite the crowd, with audience members queuing out the door of Uppingham Theatre. (Photo: Grace Kennington)

Both performances are to raise funds for the Rutland Music Video Project. This will raise the necessary funds for the filming and editing of the music video to accompany a song Dawe has written about Rutland, which will be sung by Rutland Youth Choirs. 

There will be a second performance of Cheer Upp! tonight (25th October) at Uppingham Theatre, with doors opening at 7pm and the show starting at 7.30pm. Limited tickets will be available on the door or via the wegottickets website. Tickets are free but all funds raised through donations will go towards Henry's Rutland Music Video Project with Visit Rutland.