David Tennant is asking stage actors and theatregoers to help raise money for Comic Relief all this week as part of a new campaign called The Red Nose Bow.

The former Doctor Who star is heading up the initiative with actor Mike Fenton Stevens and the pair are calling on “all performers, touring theatre companies, theatre productions and theatres” to solicit donations from audiences at performances in the run up to Red Nose Day.

“Are you, or someone you know, performing in the week of Red Nose Day, March 15th 2013? Or are you a theatre or producer with a performance playing this week?” asked Tennant and Stevens in an open letter.

“We are asking all the performances in all the theatres in the land to collect money for Comic Relief after the performances that week.”

Stevens got the idea for the campaign after he spent time raising money for Comic Relief at his theatrical engagements last year and managed to collect nearly £10,000 in a single week.

“It took just 10 minutes after each of the performances and raised loads of money. If we could get most theatres and performers to do this, we could raise hundreds of thousands of pounds for Comic Relief to go towards good causes at home and in Africa,” said the letter.

Any thespians or impresarios wanting to take part in the Red Nose Bow just have to get some buckets, adorn them with some downloadable Red Nose Day logos and start collecting.

Signing off with “love and huge theatrical kisses,” Tennant and Stevens promised to publicly acknowledge anyone who gets involved with their campaign.

They said: “We will mention you on twitter and add your name to the News page. Please let us know how you get on either via twitter, or by emailing us and take The Red Nose Bow!”

For more information, visit the Red Nose Bow website or follow the campaign on Twitter.