In the heart of London’s Embankment, the recently opened Emerald Theatre feels part The Great Gatsby, part Emerald City — lavish, theatrical and unapologetically opulent. The room glows in rich green tones and, with its £16 CLOUD 9 signature cocktail (plus a 13.5% service charge), you know immediately this is an upscale affair.
On this occasion, however, the glamour served a higher purpose: raising vital funds for War Child, the specialist charity supporting children affected by conflict.
Opening the evening, Australian singer-songwriter Gabriella Cilmi delivered a stripped-back, piano-led jazz set. Alongside her breakthrough hit “Sweet About Me”, she explored more reflective material, touching on her teenage beginnings, relationship secrets and lessons learned. Her cover of Peter Gabriel’s “Solsbury Hill” felt especially personal. After 15 years in London before relocating to the countryside, Cilmi connected deeply with the song’s theme of risking what you have for what you might gain.
Celebrating 25 years in music ahead of her anniversary tour, Katherine Jenkins presented an intimate acoustic set built around one theme: love. The connection to War Child was clear, following her recent duet with Jack Savoretti on Burt Bacharach’s “What the World Needs Now Is Love”. Many in the audience wore the exclusive event T-shirt bearing the song’s title around a red heart.
Jenkins explored love in its many forms — the fiery passion of “Habanera” from Carmen, the wartime nostalgia of “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square”, and the operatic sweep of Lucio Dalla’s “Caruso”, famously performed by The Three Tenors. She balanced that grandeur with the emotional pull of “Jealous of the Angels” and closed with Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You”, sung in Italian as “L’amore sei tu”. The blend of classical discipline and accessible warmth was compelling.
Taking to the stage, Jack Savoretti joked about how to follow “the most beautiful voice in the world”. Backed by organ and acoustic guitar, he soon established his own atmosphere. A haunting reinterpretation of “Candlelight” showcased his ability to create intimacy, while harmonica flourishes added texture.
Reflecting on his visits to conflict-affected countries supported by War Child, Savoretti delivered “Soldier’s Eyes” with quiet intensity. The mood then lifted with “Youth and Love” and “Only You”, prompting hand-waving and communal singalongs from the near-500-strong seated crowd. The evening’s pinnacle came after the encore, when Jenkins returned to duet on “What the World Needs Now Is Love” — a simple, unifying finale.
In a venue defined by glamour, it was love and unity that resonated most. Savoretti and Jenkins demonstrated that audiences can rally behind charitable causes without division or rhetoric. War Child continues to provide rehabilitation and specialist support to children living through conflict, offering tangible hope amid devastation. To support War Child, visit here.
Photography by Wiktoria Wolny
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