Actress Kate Winslet took time out to host a fundraising dinner for east London charity Cardboard Citizens on Saturday and even joined its members on stage.

The Hollywood star joined a cast of 40 homeless and ex-homeless performers on stage at the Christ Church in Spitalfields for a short scene before the charity’s actors wowed a crowd of 200 people with samba drumming and opera.

The Hanbury Street theatre company, which provides support to help people get out of homelessness, needs funds for a new home and �124,000 was raised on the night.

An art auction pushed the total up with Spitalfields artist Tracey Emin grabbing her monoprint, Poppys, from the auctioneer to parade it through the tables, raising �8000.

Artworks by the Chapman brothers and Rachel Whiteread also went under the hammer as did Kate’s monochrome knee-length dress by French couture designer Max Chaoul and her gold and diamond Longines watch, fetching �7,600.

The auctions brought in �60,000 in total.

Kate, the charity’s ambassador since seeing one of their performances at Holloway prison in 2007, said: “The highlight of a wonderful evening was hearing the ex-homeless performers’ stories told as theatre, and then meeting the actors downstairs.

“Everyone was beaming with a sense of achievement, that’s what Cardboard Citizens does so well.”