Dame Judi Dench: Star appearance

Cast members from hit shows including Rent, Miss Saigon, Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables and Boogie Nights performed highlights of their musicals at London's Prince Edward Theatre.

Sunday night's gala performance was organised by West End promoter Barry Mishon in association with Oxfam.

The show is expected to raise £30,000 to buy emergency feeding kits for children under five.

Brian Blessed: "It's been a gut reaction from the West End"

Brian Blessed, one of the celebrity compères hosting the show, described Oxfam as a "beacon in the dark" and congratulated them on organising the show at such short notice.

He told the BBC the actors had been moved by television pictures of the disaster. "It's been a gut reaction from the West End. All the shows and all the musicals have got together."

Brian Blessed: Celebrity host

The ambassadors of Honduras, Nicaragua and Guatemala and the El Salvadorean High Commissioner were the guests of honour.

The show, entitled Till the Clouds Go By, was put together in two weeks. Organisers hope to raise about £30,000 to provide feeding kits for children under five and other emergency equipment.

The Prime Minister, Tony Blair, sent a letter of support and stars such as Dame Judi Dench, Honor Blackman and Rowan Atkinson endorsed the event.

Oxfam spokesman Richard English: "We need huge amounts of money"

Oxfam spokesman Richard English said: "The situation in Central America remains critical, particularly concerning water-borne diseases and the potential outbreak of cholera.

Rowan Atkinson: Performing 'Til the Clouds Go Home

"This show was a wonderful way to raise awareness of the situation."

Tens of thousands killed

About 10,000 people were killed, 19,000 went missing and three million were made homeless when Hurricane Mitch raged across much of Central America last month, causing an estimated £2.4bn in damage.

Honor Blackman: Charity appearance

About a third of Honduras's population of 10 million and one in eight of Nicaragua's four million people have been directly affected.

In Honduras the storm destroyed most major roads and bridges and devastated 700,000 hectares of land.

Oxfam has helped rebuild destroyed water systems and flown out water treatment and storage systems, sludge pumps, and buckets for people at risk from diseases.

An alliance of leading UK aid agencies set up an appeal almost immediately and expect to raise £10m.