If sitting at your desk for eight-and-a-half hours seems tiring, spare a thought for a bunch of actors who will be fundraising by singing, rapping, improvising and acting for 12 hours, writes James Gormley.

The House of Stray Cats theatre group decided to hold their “actathon” for the charity Medical Aid for Palestinians because one of the company recently spent some time out in Gaza.

House of Stray Cats will start the action off at 10am next Sunday (October 19) and then the audience will be invited to join in.

But joining the cast on stage and participating is not compulsory.

Actor Jack Stanley says: “There are six of us in the company and we hope to get things going in the first half hour, hour or so and encourage others.

“When people come into the theatre they will be met and it will be explained how they can take part. Improv is about being open and saying yes, having an idea and just going with it.”

This will be the first time the theatre company has done such a thing, and it is all thanks in part to their old drama teacher.

Stanley says: “We actually formed the theatre company while still at school, the Royal Russell in Croydon.

“We went our separate ways to go to university and it was actually our old drama teacher Alex Ramsden, who encouraged us to reform, we are a young group.”

When the Stray Cats have taken a breather after their 12-hour effort they will be back with a play by Ayse Tary called Every Man for Herself.

Stanley adds: “We are also working on Ayse Tary’s new play, which is going really well.

“It is about gender identity in modern London.

“Ayse originally left certain sections of the play to be created through the rehearsal process. It has allowed us all to develop our characters a bit more.

“I wouldn’t say that there is a political message, but maybe a social message in how we perceive others and how we want to be seen.”