Music therapy clients will get the chance to see accessible performances of West End shows including Matilda, thanks to a partnership between LW Theatres and Nordoff and Robbins.
Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber’s six London venues and the UK’s largest music therapy charity have signed an agreement running until 2028.
The deal sees LW Theatres, including Theatre Royal Drury Lane and the London Palladium, commit to raising awareness of Nordoff and Robbins, to which the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation donated £250,000 in 2011.
As part of the agreement, Nordoff and Robbins clients will be offered complimentary tickets, subject to availability, to relaxed performances at participating theatres.
Sandy Trappitt, director of fundraising at the charity, called it a “powerful partnership”.
“We could nearly fill all of their theatres twice over with the people we supported with music therapy in the last year alone, but the demand for music therapy is increasing rapidly, and so are the costs of running our services,” Trappitt said.
“We are working hard to train future music therapists and make sure high-quality music therapy is a key part of health and social care services, so we’re incredibly grateful to LW Theatres for this much-needed support and opportunity to be seen by new audiences.”
‘A natural and meaningful partnership’
The partnership details initiatives including point-of-sale donation prompts, QR code signage at shows, and dedicated messaging in programmes and on screens.
Nordoff and Robbins, established as a charity in 1976, reached 15,500 in 2025 with its music therapy services, which engage those who are socially isolated, disabled, or who experience “life-limiting illness”.
Money raised by the new partnership is intended for educating practitioners, which costs the organisation approximately £19,000 per music therapist over two years of training.
Jules Arnott, co-chief executive of LW Theatres, said it was a “privilege” for the company to support the charity.
“Music sits at the heart of what we do every day, so extending this partnership across our theatres, to our audiences and to our 900‑strong team, feels both natural and deeply meaningful,” Arnott said.
“We’re incredibly proud to stand alongside such an inspiring charity and support their truly transformative work.”