Rehearsals have begun for a musical extravaganza starring Oxfordshire singer Zo Mace and 600 other young aspiring actors, singers, and dancers.

Organisers hope the performances at Oxford's New Theatre in June will raise more than £20,000 for the charity, and if it is a success, they would like to make it a regular event.

The young artists, all students of Oxfordshire branches of the Stagecoach Theatre Company, will be performing numbers from stage shows and from the big screen, such as Cats, Guys and Dolls, and West Side Story.

Zo plans to sing opera and classical pieces, including some from her third album which is due to be recorded in the summer. The CD will be sold in aid of the learning disability charity Mencap, after it named Zo its Young Person of the Year.

The 11-year-old's previous albums have already raised over £120,000 for the Oxford Children's Hospital Campaign and the Down's Syndrome Association.

Her mother Linda, of Witney Road in Freeland, said: "Zo has always wanted to do a show in Oxford but being 11, it is very difficult to do, so she has invited all her friends from Stagecoach to do it with her.

"There will be 600 children in total, 300 will do a matinee and a different 300 will do the evening show. We are hoping that they are going to bring lots of mums, dads, aunties, uncles and grandparents so that we will have a full house.

"We wanted to do the show to give these kids the opportunity to give something back to the community and they chose the five charities that they want to raise the money for."

The proceeds will be split between the charities, including two the Oxford Children's Hospital and the Oxfordshire Down's Syndrome Association which are particularly important to the Mace family.

Zo's younger sister Jodie, who was born with Down's Syndrome and cardiac problems, was cared for by staff at the John Radcliffe Hospital before she died aged four.

Donations will be made to three other charities which work with children, including Helen and Douglas House hospices and See Saw, a charity which provides bereavement support.

InterAct, a project run by Stagecoach Theatre Company for young people with special educational, physical, or financial needs, will also benefit, and students of the project are set to perform in the show.

Linda said: "All the kids are absolutely 100 per cent dedicated and they have already started practising. It is going to be a fantastic night.

"We are hoping that it is going to be such a success that we can do this again, perhaps every two years. Our aim is to make this a real Oxfordshire event."

The show is to take place on Sunday, June 18. Tickets cost £10 to £15 and are available from Ticketmaster on 0870 5344444, or visit www.ticketmaster.co.uk