James - Year 11

James loved being part of the cast of the amazing HB show of Matilda Jr at the Theatre Royal last year. Since then, he has been a cast member of ‘Barnaby Bear’, a show at the Anvil in Basingstoke designed by Hampshire Music Service to provide a first experience at the theatre for KS1 children. The small cast includes a teddy bear that magically comes to life!

As part of the Mayflower Theatre Summer Youth Project, he was cast as Turkey (the school headmaster), and was understudy for the lead in their production of Honk, a musical version of the Ugly duckling. He has also just finished 'A Christmas Carol' at the MAST Mayflower Studio theatre, where he played four roles and, therefore, needed very quick costume changes! As he is keen on following a musical career, he was delighted to deputise for the Musical Director leading the cast warm-ups. And on that note (no pun intended!), James was grateful to spend his work experience time with the Hampshire Music Service, visiting many schools and assisting with activities.

James is a member of the Hampshire County Youth Choirs (Show Choir, Youth Choir, and Chamber Choir) and has participated in exciting projects such as performing at the Grange Festival, a workshop with Bob Chilcott (a famous modern composer), and many concerts with other HMS ensembles. The choirs are encouraging more young people to sign up, see https://hantschoirs.wixsite.com/website

James and his family love all sorts of music and have a lot of fun working on recording the music and related videos. Their latest YouTube video is a rock cover:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhzRDlgUBq4

He also plays a number of instruments, including the drums, French horn and piano. In the Spring he will sit his Grade 7 music theory exam but has cut down on performances, so he can get through his GCSE’s!

We look forward to following James as his career continues to develop and flourish. The West End beckons!