West End star Olly Dobson predicted theatre will come back stronger following the pandemic.
A cast of more than 50 performers is taking part in a celebration of musicals called The Show Must Go On at the Palace Theatre in London.
The shows, running until Sunday, are raising money for Acting For Others and The Fleabag Support Fund following a catastrophic period for the industry.
Theatres are set to reopen at full capacity in England from June 21.
Dobson, star of Back To The Future The Musical, told the PA news agency of his relief at being back in a theatre.
He said: “It feels nice to be back where everything feels normal.
“The Show Must Go On is a reminder to everyone in the building that the love and care has always been there, it’s just been on hold, like everything else has.
“Obviously it’s been tough.
“But this is such a great form of escapism that it’s a really nice reminder just to give people that reminder we still love this, we care a lot and it’s going to be bigger and better than ever when we’re back.”
Christine Allado, star of The Prince Of Egypt, described being back on stage as a “tonic”.
She told PA: “Just seeing people in the industry, friends and colleagues, it just felt incredibly amazing to be like, ‘how are you? Are you OK?’
“It felt like this whole year, we’ve gone through this whole thing together. It’s nice to be home. This feels like home.”
Allado’s co-star Alexia Khadime said being back on stage is “like you’ve found yourself again”.
The Show Must Go On will run until Sunday June 6 and tickets are on sale now.
