Strictly head judge Shirley sees Shea's smash-hit charity show

* Shea put together and performed in the finale concert. 

* Strictly's Shirley Ballas congratulates Shea on the success of the show.

* Louise Cielecki on stage. 

* Amy Grace makes an appearance.

* Talented young singer Celyn Orton-Jones.

* Baritone Sam Snowden.

* Singer and Shirley Ballas's friend Daniel Taylor with his guitar.

* The evening's compere Andy Snowden. 

* Shea duets with Louise Cielecki.

Enterprising young entertainer Shea Ferron brought his latest series of charity concerts to a resounding finale with a show performed both live and online last night (Saturday).

And a star of national TV joined a small, invited audience at Lllangollen Town Hall in a series of standing ovations to the talented 18 year old and the terrific team that helped him do it.

Shea has been rapidly building up a portfolio of acting and singing appearances in the area for a number of years.

He has joined the cast of numerous shows with Llangollen Operatic Society, its junior section the Young ‘Uns, and the Collen Players music hall group, winning a number of amateur stage awards into the bargain.

During the pandemic he sang his way through a series of self-arranged open-air gigs to raise thousands of pounds for good causes.

His finale concert in aid of the Welsh mental health charity Hafal was a hybrid affair before a 30-strong, socially-distanced audience of family, friends and supporters which was also live streamed on social media.

Among those at the Town Hall was Strictly Come Dancing head judge Shirley Ballas who was there with her partner, the star of Blood Brothers UK Daniel Taylor, with whom Shea has become friends as a result of his performance work and who readily agreed to join him on stage last night.

A host of local companies helped Shea stage the spectacular affair including Orb Sound and Lighting which arranged the technical side of the production.

Professional compere was Andy Snowden, also well known on the local and regional entertainment circuit, and after his own opening number, Mr Cellophane from the musical Chicago, he introduced another up-and-coming young singer Amy Grace.

She thrilled with numbers including the title song from forthcoming 25th Bond film No Time to Die and Jolene by Dolly Parton.

First to bring the Town Hall crowd to their feet was Royal Northern College of Music graduate and Shea’s fellow John Boys Male Voice Choir singer Sam Snowden who used his impressive baritone to bring us hits from musicals Blood Brothers, Frozen II, Waitress and a resounding Toreadur from Carmen.

Next up came Celyn Orton-Jones, a young lady familiar to local audiences through her numerous appearances with local societies such as the Operatic Society’s Young ‘Uns.

She chose a powerful selection of show numbers rounded off in style with In a Crowd of Thousands from Anastasia.  

After the break it was back with a knock-about duet from Shea and his old Young ‘Uns pal Louise Cielecki, the Song That Goes Like This from Spamalot.     

Shirley Ballas’s friend, Liverpool-born actor, producer and director Daniel Taylor has appeared in a string of stage roles including Sammy in Blood Brothers in the West End and on national tour.

He chose to sit simply with his guitar playing some powerful numbers of his own composition, including a poignant homage to the NHS and, diversely, ending with The King of the Swingers from the musical Jungle Book.

Louise Cielecki came back to belt out the title song from Beauty and the Beast, Little Girls from the musical Annie and, most movingly, I Dreamed a Dream from Les Miserables.

Shea bounded back on stage to wind up with his own sensational selection which included the equally tear-jerking Tell Me It’s Not True from Blood Brothers and Empty Chairs and Empty Tables from Les Miserables.

At the end of the highly enjoyable show he was able to announce that the efforts of himself and his multi-talented friends had raised close on £400 for Hafal, with contributions still being accepted at: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/hafalconcert        

* Shea has since announced on Facebook that Shirley Ballas has made a major donation to the appeal 

He posted: "I’m extremely grateful to Shirley Ballas for the offer of a further £500 for the charity which will take us up to just over £1,000 pound which is truly amazing."