HUNDREDS of Hampshire performers are preparing to take to the stage at the Mayflower Theatre for a fundraising extravaganza.

Dancing with Choirs has been organised by Wessex Heartbeat to raise thousands for the Daily Echo-backed High 5 Appeal which aims to bring a new cardiac ward to Southampton General Hospital for young heart patients.

The ward will transform the hospital experience for 16 to 30-year-olds who currently have to be treated in adult wards alongside patients who are often much older than them with different forms of heart problems.

Now 500 performers from across the county have got together to showcase their talents and help the charity meet their fundraising target.

Thousands are expected to watch the show featuring singers from the Mayflower’s Musical Youth Theatre, Romsey Male Voice Choir, E-Minor Pop Academy, children from Hampshire Collegiate Prep School in Winchester and Spinnaker Chorus in Havant.

Dancing with them will be performers from Tori Caine School of Dancing, Parkewood School of Dance, Sue Merrett School of Dance, A&L Dance Academy, Studio So, The Point Adult Tap and Dance 8.

Charity chief executive Alison Farrell said: “This is an ambitious undertaking for a charity, but the stakes are high for us in our determination to give young people with heart conditions the right place to be treated while they are in hospital as soon as we are able.

“That’s why all of us organising and performing are clear that in delivering the best for the audience we will bring closer the best that can be delivered for young cardiac patients.

“Here at Wessex Heartbeat we’re enormously grateful to all of our performers, and extremely confident that this show will be at least as good as the very successful High 5 Variety Show we staged in 2013.

“Last year we had an audience of 1300; this year, with the support of the Daily Echo and so many others, we would love to achieve a capacity audience of 2000. That really would give our High 5 Final Push the massive boost our patients deserve.”

For tickets, ring the Mayflower’s box office on 023 8071 1811 or visit mayflower.org.uk/ bookingonline.asp.