Judy Cramer Hands Fortune To Theatre Project

The stage show mogul, who is currently working on the Spice Girls-themed musical Viva Forever!, has handed the money to The Theatres Trust, which has been set up to boost the industry in Britain.

She made the huge donation in a bid to help stage productions thrive, telling the Bbc, "Theatres are very precious. This country has the richest heritage of theatre anywhere in the world and I genuinely feel we must protect that glorious history for future theatre-going audiences."

Organisers of the project hand out grants of up to $8,000 (£5,000) to theatre bosses to help pay for refurbishments.