Theatrical Garden Party in Regents Park

Stage stars 'do their bit' at a charity fundraising fete.

There's a glitter of stardust about this high-profile fundraising event in aid of the Actors' Orphanage Fund; a charity which housed children of deceased actors and actresses. An annual event since 1906, the garden party lured generous donors with the chance to meet and greet theatrical stars, who peddled autographs and raffle tickets, and performed comedy sketches in honour of a worthy cause.

This type of occasion was ideal fodder for early newsreels like Topical Budget, which made several visits to the annual event. The unwieldy nature of camera equipment meant that Topical's schedule was planned around predictable events, while celebrity 'do-gooding' antics were a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.