From the glitzy world of Hollywood to a smart residential village in Kent.
LA-based talent spotter, Lynne Marks is jetting over the Atlantic to Hempstead, a leafy suburb of Gillingham, where she was born and bred, to do what she does best.
Lynne Marks, a Los Angeles-based talent scout is returning home to Hempstead to be a judge in the competition
Lynne has been invited to be a judge on the panel for the inaugural Hempstead’s Got Talent competition at the nearby church in Rainham.
And she hopes her guest appearance at St Margaret’s will help boost villagers’ fight to get their local pub, The Flying Saucer, reopened.
Since moving to the States, where she lives with her entertainment attorney husband, Lynne has kept in touch with her roots back home.
The former Hempstead primary and Rainham School for Girls pupil follows the community on Facebook groups and is an avid supporter of the Let’s Get the Saucer Flying Again campaign.
When she heard about the contest showcasing local talent, a fundraiser towards taking over the boozer, Lynne did not hesitate to offer her services free of charge.
She booked her flight from California, where she runs a management company which specialises in nurturing the skills of aspiring actors, to take her place on the panel on Saturday, February 28.
The mother-of-three has won a reputation for preparing children and young adults to work alongside big stars like Tom Hanks, Jack Nicholson and Robin Williams in blockbuster movies, like Forrest Gump and The Crossing Guard.
She also prepares talent for productions featuring stars like Whitney Houston in movies like The Cheetah Girls.
Joining Lynne on the panel is Steve Ladner, BBC broadcast journalist and producer working with BBC Sounds and BBC Radio Kent, and a keen advocate of saving local boozers from calling time.
He said: “I am a big supporter of local pubs and they are so important for communities, small and large.
“So this is a cause I am happy to support”.
Sherbet Dip, Hempstead’s very own drag queen, has been known to belt out a few tunes in the The Flying Saucer when not performing in live cabaret shows.
The inaugural Hempstead’s Got Talent will take place next month to raise funds for a pub takeover bit
Sherbet, 24, who lives in the village, will not only be judging the acts, sipping on her favourite Savvy B tipple, she will also be singing at the end of the evening.
She said: “I’m totally dedicated to the cause and I can’t wait to see all the incredible acts .”
The fourth judge is Justine Jeffery, now in her 20th year as a teacher and choreographer at Buxton Dance and Drama Studios in Gillingham.
Justine has worked on a string of television pilot shows and live theatre in and around London.
She said: “I’m thrilled and very honoured to have been asked to be one of the judges.
“I wish all the performers a wonderful evening and the very best of luck.”
Twelve acts have so far booked to perform on stage, including singers, dancers, comedians and a choir.
The talent show is being organised by Beverly Weir. who is also a lead campaigner to get the pints flowing again at the hostelry which she says was “at the heart of the village until it closed in June 2024,
She said: “It promises to be a fun evening.
“We have all ages taking part, and everyone either lives in Hempstead or has links.
Hempstead’s very own drag queen Sherbet Dip will be on the judging panel
“Our youngest is an 18-year-old who’s doing a Michael Jackson tribute and Barbara, who’s 97 is doing a comedy monologue.”
Since the pub closed, punters claim to have offered the owner twice its estimated value – but he has refused to budge from his reported asking price of more than £1million.
Meanwhile, they have been granted Asset of Community Value (ACV) status by Medway Council, making it harder for the freeholder to sell it to a property developer.
But, despite a massive campaign with up to £650,000 put forward through grants, loans and hundreds of pledges of donations from nearby residents, the north-London-based businessman is said to have “turned down” their undisclosed “substantial” offer.
Beverly, who has lived in Hempstead for more than 40 years, added: “We have raised a lot and offered much more than the professional valuer estimated, but what is being asked for is ridiculous.”
Last orders at the much-loved boozer in Hempstead Road, which had been serving customers since the 1950s, sparked a wave of protests among its loyal customers and residents, and a campaign was launched to “Get the Saucer Flying Again”.
Tickets are on sale online now and can be booked by clicking here.
They cost £10 each and there’s no admission for children aged between 12 and 16. Children under 12 are not permitted.