The Stage

Stage scholarships to Sylvia Young awarded

Published Tuesday 6 April 2004 at 12:35

This year’s winner of the full Stage scholarship to the Sylvia Young Theatre School is ten-year-old Natasha Mould, with half-scholarships given to Joe Cooper, aged ten, and eleven-year-old Jordan Laviniere.

Nathan Sykes, aged ten, was presented with the Emma Priest Scholarship for musical theatre. The award, which is in its third year, is presented in memory of the promising young performer who trained at the school and went on to make her West End debut aged 16 in the revival of Stop the World - I Want to Get Off. Priest was regarded as one of the brightest young stars of musical theatre when she passed away aged just 29 in 2002.

The four winners were picked from a group of 17 finalists by a panel of judges that included casting directors Derek Barnes and Paul De Freitas, director and choreographer Carol Todd, children’s administrator for West End theatre Jo Hawes, sponsor of the Emma Priest scholarship Denise Priest, costumiers Mario and Derek Gandolfi and Victoria Chow from The Stage.

Last year’s winner of the full Stage scholarship, Kyle Smith Thompson, has enjoyed a productive year, recently being cast in the National Theatre production of Sing Yer Hearts Out For the Lads, which is currently in rehearsals.