Telford couple get engaged on Billy Elliott West End stage

Will Hayward and Natalie Goldup, both members of a Telford dramatic society, got engaged after a performance of Billy Elliott at London's glittering West End.

Watched by legend of the stage Ruthie Henshall, the pair are now preparing for an on-stage wedding, as well as their own.

The couple are preparing to play the leads in an upcoming production of the Wedding Singer in Telford.

Mr Hayward, 23, a medical administrator from St Georges, said the romantic proposal had been in the planning for months.

"We were chatting about something just casually in the car on the way home from somewhere and Natalie said that she'd love to go on the West End stage and I thought – alright.

"I had wanted to do it for a while though because, when you know, you know."

He has a friend who works in the West End, and asked him whether his plan could be possible and he said it would.

They were then quickly set up with tickets to see Billy Elliott.

Mr Hayward added: "The cast were incredible and this time it featured Ruthie Henshall, who I know is someone Natalie really admires.

"After the show we went backstage and met the cast and I said that there was something I wanted to ask Natalie.

"It went better than I ever could have hoped for.

"The cast were lovely and they were very accommodating.

"Natalie had a tear in her and I was very pleased because it showed I had done a good job."

Mr Hayward and Miss Goldup, a 25-year-old teacher from Leegomery, have been together for around 14 months after meeting during Tadlop's production of Anything Goes last autumn.

Following their engagement, they are set to star opposite each other again in the group's upcoming production of The Wedding Singer.

The musical is based on the 1998 romantic comedy starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore.

The show will be performed at Abraham Darby Academy from April 6 to 9 2016.