Teenager wins place at prestigious performing arts school (From The Advertiser Series)

Teenager wins place at prestigious performing arts school

4:54pm Tuesday 12th March 2013 in News

A TEENAGE performer from Darlington has won a place at prestigious arts school where Andrew Lloyd-Webber is the president.

Theo Close, 17, from Melsonby, near Richmond, North Yorkshire, will study for an undergraduate degree in musical theatre at London's Arts Education Professional School from September.

He said: “When I heard I got in I just thought, 'oh my God'. I’m very excited, a bit nervous too, but I definitely can’t wait to start.

“I hope by the time I finish I will have a very good agent who will put me up for auditions in the West End because that’s where I really want to work.

“If I could play any part it would be Don Lockwood in ‘Singing in the Rain’. It’s a fantastic part in such a fantastic show. I just love everything about it.”

Theo has already graced the stage of the Darlington Civic Theatre in Carousel and Oliver in 2007, and in Jesus Christ Superstar and Beauty and the Beast in 2010.

He currently studies at Brit School, and previously studied at Stagecoach Theatre Arts School, where his first year was sponsored by The Northern Echo.

Trudy Hindmarsh, principal of Stagecoach Darlington, said: "It was a brilliant choice. Theo has done them proud.

"He has continued to show all the qualities that won him the scholarship and that will get him far - hard work, resilience, humility, good humour, initiative and great talent."

Theo’s mother, Lorraine Jewbury, said: “I’m his mum, so of course I think he’s great, but he keeps getting into all these schools so it’s amazing to find out other people think the same.”