The “practically perfect” show that gets people of all ages dancing

A woman helps the residents of a care home, one song at a time.

Lucy Wareing said the idea was initially a “one-off” event because her boyfriend’s mother, a domestic worker, asked her to come in and do a “theatrical performance”. She said she didn’t expect anything from her, but two weeks later people “got wind” of her show and started messaging her to ask if she could do it again.

From there, the Lydiate resident took off on Facebook and established herself as an independent trader, creating Cherry Tree Entertainment.

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The 20-year-old said the name of her business came from her first performance, adding: “I wanted to give a little nod to my first leading role in a school production which was Mary Poppins, who lives on Cherry Tree Lane. I got a lot of confidence from that show and it helped shape who I am today, so when I was choosing my name, I wanted something close to my heart.”

Lucy offers three performance packs – the practically perfect pack where she sings and interacts with residents in character, the 50s/60s/70s Mix which features songs from across the decades and the ‘1940s/wartime pack, described as something more relaxed. period song set.

She said: “I think what’s different about my company is that we offer a very unique type of service. Our packages are very unique and engaging, getting people to join in and sing and dance.”

She also emphasized the importance of what she does, recounting one visit in particular. She said: “I went to a home last year and there was a lady who hadn’t spoken in three years. I went in and did the “practically perfect” act, and she spoke to me. He was singing and dancing and all the caretakers were crying. That’s why I do the job.”

Lucy added: “When I started doing it I wasn’t sure if they would get involved, but it doesn’t matter how old they are – they’ll get up and dance. Our main goal is to make people happy. All these diseases can destroy people’s joy and I just want to bring them back.”

In character with the practically perfect package, Lucy gives each resident a letter to write “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” and when performing the war set, she makes sure the songs aren’t “slow and emotional” for the residents’ happiness.

She said: “These people have lived incredible lives and I think it’s really important that we recognize that and treat our elderly people like they’re people and not like they’re children. They know much more about the world than we will ever know. It’s important not to be patronizing. They are not made of glass.”

The outfits she wears are also sustainable, sourced from Vinted or anywhere that sells second-hand clothing, although she makes the linings herself for a more personal touch.

Lucy applied to become a limited company in March, an idea she said she came up with over a cup of tea with her baby. Now she is able to hire two more singers for the areas she can’t reach.

She said: “We were getting lots of requests from Lancashire, Yorkshire, even some from America. A few weeks ago, I put out a call for independent actors in areas I can’t reach. I get the most requests from Blackburn and Burnley. But I also get a lot from the Wirral and Chester area, so I decided to look further afield.”

Lucy has now employed Kate Hargrave to cover Blackburn, Burnley and surrounding areas and Holly Mimi Bernice to cover Wirral, Chester and surrounding areas.

Lucy added: “I never thought it would be as big as it has been. I’m very grateful that I landed on my feet.”

She is also an aspiring actor and said she was “delighted” to be able to offer “flexibility” to the two new hires. She said: “Flexible work can be hard to find too. I’m my own boss now so I can offer that too. I told the girls, ‘If Netflix calls, pick up the phone!'”

More information and booking details can be found on Facebook or the Cherry Tree Entertainment website.

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