TALENTED performers from Priestley College in Warrington have shown that all the world is their stage after securing offers from the UK’s top theatre schools.
Students on Priestley College’s Musical Theatre course have so far received 25 offers from specialist institutions famed for helping their students carve out careers on the stage, in TV and film.
“Despite everything the past year has thrown at them these students have impressed at auditions for theatre schools around the country,” said Assistant Principal and Performing Arts tutor Sarah Graham.
“They have the world at their feet now and we couldn’t be happier for them.”
Priestley students have received offers from Arts Ed, Mountview and Guildford School of Acting – considered the Oxford and Cambridge of performance schools.
Among the 25 offers received so far – with some students also waiting on recalls – are places at Bird College, Urdang Academy, Performers College and Performance Preparation Academy, which are the equivalent of Russell Group universities for actors, dancers and singers.
Alex Hayden, who has received five offers, is planning to go to Arts Ed and dreams of combining performance with sharing his passion through teaching.
The former Hope Academy pupil’s talent was first spotted by his parents who secretly recorded him singing in his bedroom as a child.
“I was always very much in my shell when I was younger, but performance and being at college has brought me out of myself,” he said.
“The Musical Theatre course at Arts Ed is well-rounded so I’m looking forward to improving my technique even more.”
Alex, who can play the ukulele, will be playing Drew in Priestley’s end-of-year performance of Rock of Ages.
He will be joined on stage by Ollie White playing Stacee Jaxx as the college’s second years bring down the curtain on their time together.
Ollie, who previously studied at Abbeygate in Chester, has a recall with Arts Ed and an offer from Bird College.
The 18-year-old’s dream is to be on the West End and he cites the first Phantom of the Opera, Michael Crawford, as his inspiration.
“I told my gran when I was five that I wanted to be a professional ballet dancer,” he said.
“I love the freedom dance gives you to express yourself. If I am happy, sad or annoyed I can dance and it will showcase that or relieve me of any negative feelings.”
