Watch out for one of Teesside’s own budding starlets among the dancers on stage at the National Television Awards tonight (Wednesday 11th September, 2024).
From performing alongside Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling in the Barbie movie to becoming a bit of a regular among the ensemble on ITV’s Saturday Night Takeaway, it would be fair to say life has been full of adventure for Grace.
“There really have been some amazing experiences,” said the former Stockton Riverside College musical theatre student who has featured in the Wonka movie, done panto at the London Palladium and toured with Anton and Giovanni for the Strictly Theatre Company.
While it all sounds very glamorous, the 24-year-old is quick to show she still has her feet on the ground, earning a regular wage working at a gym and restaurant.
“That’s the thing about this kind of work, for months you can be living in a pink bubble on the Barbie set, and the next you are waiting to hear back from auditions, unsure what’s going to come next,” she said.
It certainly takes hard work, determination and a thick skin, explained the up-and-coming young dancer from Ingleby Barwick who has also faced more than her fair share of rejection.
With lots more big plans in the pipeline, most of which contractual agreements say she can’t talk about yet, there are plenty of roles she has wanted but been pipped at the post.
Returning to Stockton to deliver a masterclass to passionate young dancers this summer, that was one of the life lessons she was keen to pass on.
All that said, she admitted there’s got to be little more exciting than being directed on set by the likes of Paul King and then Greta Gerwig.
“Dipping into film has been a whole new world, I was in awe of the whole thing,” said Grace, who started dancing at an early age, going on to study performing arts at Stockton Riverside College, where she was taught by her mum, Sara Durkin, before securing a place at Laine Theatre Arts.
Her time at college didn’t pass without adventure as she made it through to the live semi-finals of Britain’s Got Talent, performing as half of dance duo, Grace and Ali, the first in a long line of once in a lifetime opportunities.
Going on to live and work in London after theatre school, she said: “I was on the set of Wonka when I heard a rumour that Margo Robbie had been in the dance studio and that they were making a Barbie film,” she said.
When the auditions took place just a five-minute walk from where she was living, she wasn’t going to let the opportunity pass by.
“I got to the audition and felt well out of my comfort zone because they were all models,” she said. As it turned out being able to dance gave Grace an ace card.
She describes getting through the many rounds of auditions that followed as “the biggest moment of my career”.
“At first I was just meant to be there for two weeks of filming but Greta decided she wanted the dancers to play the Barbies. I ended up doing four or five months filming. It was all such a bizarre and unique experience – it was a special time.”
Eventually coming back out of the pink bubble felt like an abrupt return to reality, but she said: “I am so grateful for the experience.”
And, for Grace, the diversity of a career as a performer has continued. She has gone on to dance in front of royalty at the Royal British Legion’s D-Day 80th anniversary commemorations, there was another Strictly tour, the final series of Saturday Night Takeaway and of course performing at the National Television Awards tonight.
She said: “It has been an exciting time for me but there is still so much more I want to do.”
Looking at her track record so far, we are sure there’ll be lots more to come.
