Last Sunday proved to be an outstanding day for our young performers, with success at both the All England Theatre Festival regional final and the National Youth Monologue Competition semi-finals in London.

At the All England Theatre Festival (AETF) regional final, the group achieved an impressive second place in what was described as an exceptionally strong field. Competing against two adult theatre companies in their very first attempt at the festival, the cast delivered a performance that earned high praise from the adjudicator, who said the winners had prevailed by a “very close margin”.

Adding to the celebrations, pupil Beau J. received the award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Prior Walter, following what was described as a “barn storming performance”. The praise did not stop there, with members of the technical team commenting afterwards that it was “the strongest field they had ever seen”.

Meanwhile, Toby T. enjoyed remarkable success in the semi-finals of the National Youth Monologue Competition in London. Chosen from an incredible 4,000 entries, Toby performed as Hannay from The 39 Steps and secured first place in his category. His success means he now progresses to the national finals, which will take place at Trafalgar Studios in London on 14 June.

Congratulations to all involved on a fantastic set of achievements and a memorable day for the company.