STOP PRESS: Event cancelled International Animal Rescue regrets the cancellation of the summer fundraising concerts by Deana Martin and the Rat Pack owing to problems encountered by the management company. Our thanks to supporters and suppliers, and to Deana Martin herself, a valued friend of IAR, for working tirelessly to promote them.
A special event taking place this summer offers an evening of fabulous musical entertainment and also a great way to support the work of International Animal Rescue.
On 2 & 3 August Bateman’s in Burwash, East Sussex - former home of The Jungle Book author Rudyard Kipling - is the venue for a live show starring Deana Martin, daughter of the legendary Dean Martin.
Deana will be joined on stage by a full orchestra and the UK’s top Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Junior performers from London’s West End, singing well-known favourites such as ’My Way’, ’New York, New York’, ’Every Body Loves Somebody Sometimes’, ’Mr Bojangles’ and ’The Lady is a Tramp’ - all songs guaranteed to get the audience dancing and singing along.
Film footage from Deana’s private archive has been added to original musical arrangements so that the audience can really live the story of the Rat Pack. Plus there will be a special musical performance with Jerry Lewis on a big screen as Deana and Jerry perform a touching duet in honour of her father.
Supporters of International Animal Rescue will also be invited to meet Deana Martin at a special book-signing and enjoy a glass of champagne in the IAR tent with CEO Alan Knight OBE and the rest of the team.
Barisons Productions Limited has generously offered to put on both shows as charity benefits in aid of IAR’s ‘Free the Bears’ campaign.
Alan Knight said: “There couldn’t be a more appropriate venue for an event to raise funds for India’s dancing bears than Bateman’s: it was once home to Rudyard Kipling, author of The Jungle Book and creator of the characters Mowgli the man-cub and Baloo the sloth bear. Rudyard Kipling spent the first six years of his life in India and returned there again after ten years in England. As IAR continues its efforts to remove all the dancing bears from the streets of India, this event is a perfect opportunity to celebrate the fantastic success of the project so far and the freedom of the 472 bears that have been rescued.
“Our thanks go to Barisons for supporting International Animal Rescue in this way. Now we just need everyone who loves music and loves animals to be sure to buy their tickets in plenty of time, bring along a picnic and enjoy a memorable evening of musical entertainment at Bateman’s on 2nd or 3rd August.”