Musical theatre academy pupils ready to make a song and dance over prestigious exam success
A group of nearly 50 students from a Newport musical theatre school are celebrating after passing their exams from a prestigious music academy.
The children from Newport Musical Theatre Academy, aged from five to 18, are set to receive certificates and medals after passing their London Academy of Music exams.
The presentation takes place this Saturday at Charlton School in Wellington, and pupils from the academy were rehearsing several song and dance numbers for the presentation at Burton Borough School in Newport over the weekend.
Newport Musical Theatre Academy director Deborah Owen said the students had all worked "really hard" for the prestigious London school grading exams.
She said: "Both their parents and myself are incredibly thrilled and proud of all of them. They have worked really hard for these exams.
"They did two separate exams in both musical theatre and acting - and it wasn't just them having to know some singing and dancing, they had to learn all the theory so it is an extra curriculum exam."
Deborah, who set up the academy in 2015, said she has numerous students who have gone on to careers in the West End and on TV.
"Barney Wilkinson from Edgmond was one of our students before he went to the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. He is currently playing the lead in Bat Out of Hell and is in Cruel Intentions. He also appeared on the Christmas Day episode of Doctor Who, and he is not the only one. We have several students who have gone on to the West End and on TV."
She added that the Newport Musical Theatre Academy, which put on a variety show at the Theatre Severn in Shrewsbury last October, is currently rehearsing for a performance of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and several musicals they hope to perform later in the year.
