ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER - SIR ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER OFFERS HELP TO JOBLESS BANKERS

Unemployed bankers hit by the global financial crisis can take their mind off economic ruin by enjoying a musical, thanks to Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber.

The West End impresario is offering free tickets to his productions of The Sound of Music and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat for former bank employees laid off in September.

"Free tickets might offer some respite for some of those people who have sadly lost their jobs," the I'd Do Anything judge said.

A pair of free tickets to see Lee Mead as Joseph or former Hollyoaks actress Summer Strallen as Maria is available until October 15th for bankers affected by the ongoing crisis of the credit crunch, which this week saw some 5,000 Lehman Brothers employees facing redundancy after the investment bank filed for bankruptcy.

Tickets are only available for performances between Monday and Thursday and the ex-bankers must present a P45 issued after September 1st to claim their pair of passes.

Sir Andrew, who recently revealed he will not produce a BBC1 talent show in 2009, said he hoped his "feel-good shows" would cheer the bankers "albeit for a couple of hours".