Priestley stars earn prestigious offers

PERFORMERS and backstage stars from Priestley College are set to tread the same boards as some of Britain’s finest actors.
An incredible 17 offers have been made to the college’s Performing Arts students from some of the UK’s most prestigious theatre schools.
“The offers they have received are the equivalent to them of Oxford and Cambridge,” said Priestley’s Head of Performing Arts Sarah Graham.
“For one year group to receive so many offers is an incredible achievement. They are a talented group, but have really blossomed at Priestley into impressive performers and production artists.”
Offers have been made to Priestley students from the likes of Guildford School of Acting, the Brighton Institute of Modern Music and the Urdang Academy.
Guildford alone counts Hollywood stars Celia Imrie and Bill Nighy as former students as well as ex-EastEnders actor Rob Kazinsky who last year appeared in the popular US drama True Blood.
Six offers have come from the Performance Preparation Academy while three have been received from the Bird College of Dance.
Most of Priestley’s other Performing Arts students are holding offers from their first choice of university on a range of prestigious musical theatre degree courses including Blackpool, UCLan, Chichester and Cumbria.
Among those stepping into the limelight at these prestigious colleges will be Evan Sutton who took one of the leading roles in Priestley’s recent production of In The Heights.
Evan, a former Golborne High School pupil, is going to Guildford to study Musical Theatre.
“I have to thank the tutors at Priestley for giving me the belief to aim high and my parents for supporting me through my auditions and helping me to follow my dreams,” he said.
During their time at Priestley the Performing and Production Arts students have put on several shows including the first-ever production in the North West of In The Heights.
Many travelled to New York with the college to work with Broadway actor Adam Kaplan and have developed their talents as well as understanding of the art.
Former Sir Thomas Boteler Georgia Bass, who is heading to UCLAN to study Music Theatre, said: “Being surrounded by so many strong performers at Priestley has inspired me to challenge myself every day at college.”