Actor Richard Armitage ‘choked up’ over VE Day concert reading

Actor Richard Armitage described choking up over the testimony of a man orphaned during the Birmingham Blitz ahead of delivering a reading at the VE Day concert, with other famous faces also telling of the emotional atmosphere.

The VE Day party at a specially built arena in Horse Guards Parade featured a programme of dance, orchestra and comedy sketches to an audience of more than 12,000 people – including members of the royal family, the Prime Minister and veterans – as well as many others over a live broadcast.

A host of celebrities took to the stage, with radio DJ Zoe Ball acting as presenter for the evening.

Armitage delivered the testimony of 89-year-old Jeff Borsack on Thursday evening, with Mr Borsack also addressing the audience.

The Hobbit film series star told the PA news agency ahead of the performance: “I practised it a few times and it does choke me up a little bit.

“I think because I’m from the Midlands there’s just something about that connection to Birmingham and his words are so vivid.

“It’s a pretty special thing to do, and I don’t think there’s going to be many of these people left on the next big occasion so it’s so important to carry his story.”

He called Mr Borsack “amazing” and “a complete archive of anecdotes”.

On performing in front of the royals, the Fool Me Once star said: “It’s that kind of honour that you don’t get asked to be part of very often but… it’s one of those rare occasions, big patriotic ceremony, which actually isn’t about the royal family – they’re also paying respect which I think is amazing because many of them served also, so it’s quite a levelling experience I think.”

The King and Queen were sat in the royal box for the concert with the Prince and Princess of Wales.

Actor David Bradley said that all would be well as long as he did not catch Charles and Camilla yawning during his performance.

Bradley, who played Argus Filch in the Harry Potter films, took to the stage with other British actors to perform a sketch from British comedy Dad’s Army.

On the King and Queen watching them, Bradley, who played Private Godfrey, told PA ahead of the performance: “As long as I don’t catch them yawning it will be alright.”

Hot Fuzz actor Kevin Eldon, playing Lance Corporal Jones, joked: “Or leaving.”

Eldon added: “I’m nervous to the point that if it doesn’t go well it’s not far from the Tower. We can see the thumbs from here – up or down.”

“Seize them,” Derry Girls star Dylan Llewellyn, playing Private Pike, quipped.

The Thick Of It actor Alex Macqueen, who voiced a BBC producer for the sketch, joked: “We’re like medieval court jesters from that era.”

They performed alongside Chariots Of Fire star Nigel Havers, as Sergeant Wilson, Game Of Thrones actor Iain Glen, who played Private Frazer, and Paterson Joseph, from Peep Show, playing a BBC engineer.

Havers, whose 97-year-old mother remembers VE Day “really well” and who “can’t believe” he was performing at the concert, said earlier on Thursday: “I’m just looking forward to messing it up really.”

Joseph joked that he had yet to say the words in the right order, while Glen said the “pleasure” of doing a Dad’s Army sketch “is it is supposed to be slightly chaotic”.

Glen hailed the importance of remembering VE Day, a time of “the most extraordinary feeling of liberation”, and told PA: “I know it’s easier said than done but we’re trying to do a little bit of that.”

Soap opera stars Emma Barton, Michelle Hardwick and Claire Sweeney performed an Andrews Sisters medley at the concert.

Sweeney, from Coronation Street, said she was on stage at Horse Guards Parade for the 60th anniversary of VE Day.

“I had my dad in the audience with his medals on and my brother,” she said.

“Unfortunately my dad’s not here now but… we don’t know in another 10 years how many veterans will still be with us, so it’s a really, really special one. My 11-year-old son (is) here as well.”

Emmerdale star Hardwick had her sister-in-law and 16-year-old niece in the audience to support her, with her wife and children at home watching on the TV with flags.

“Watching it all this morning and listening to the stories from the veterans,” she said.

“I think I cried at least three times this morning in the hotel room. It’s really special.”

Ball promised it would be an emotional evening.

“Quite a few of us had tears in our eyes yesterday listening to some of the music because it was so poignant,” she told PA.

“These are songs that meant so much to this generation, hearing the stories, the memories, just thinking of the children who were evacuated, the idea of me sending my kids off – it’s quite something.

“And then you think of your grandparents and the generation many of whom aren’t with us anymore and you really do hold them in your heart on days like this.

“We must continue to remember them and remember why they went through and what they went through for us all and how we’re very blessed and lucky, really, especially at the moment when you look at what’s going on around the world for many other people, we are very lucky to live in peace.”

Her father, former Play School presenter Johnny Ball, made her nervous by telling her where he was going to be sat for the concert but she said she was “really glad” for his presence in the audience.

She spoke about his memories of VE Day 1945 when he was a child, saying: “He tells great stories about my grandmother taking him into the Anderson shelter and them all singing songs.

“And he remembers those memories so they’re quite, quite something.”