Former Musical Theatre student, Grace, takes to stage and screen, performing with The Strictly Theatre Company and ITV!
Studying for a degree in Musical Theatre in the middle of a pandemic is a tough card to play but Grace did not let that stop her. After graduating with flying colours, Grace is continuing to follow her dreams, landing performances on Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway and being cast in the Strictly Theatre Company’s latest UK tour, Him & Me!
As a former Musical Theatre student of Stockton Riverside College, Grace was first introduced to the college as a young child, where she would perform in the Christmas shows as part of the children’s cast every year. Grace said, “I absolutely loved being a part of such professional shows.” When it was time for Grace to decide on where she would continue her studies as a young adult, there was little thought needed. Grace said, “I chose Stockton Riverside College because it is the best place to study in the North East. The opportunities and expert tuition from professional staff are what seeded my want for a career in performing arts.”
Speaking of opportunities, we asked Grace about what she thought was the best thing about attending Stockton Riverside College, to which she replied, “My favourite memory was playing Bombalurinain in Cats. It was such a challenging and rewarding experience. I loved my time at the College. We were constantly pushed to do better and to understand that it takes a lot of hard work.” Grace left Stockton Riverside College with a double distinction grade, which she is very proud of, and rightly so!
When asked if she would recommend the college to others, Grace said, “Yes, I always do. The College has such a good success rate of getting people into professional training and work.” Grace proved just that, and went on to continue her studies at Laine Theatre Arts in London. Whilst there, Grace told us how proud she was to have made the prelim show three years in a row for her jazz solo – What an amazing achievement!
On entering the world of work, Grace had an additional challenge of finding employment at a time when much of the arts industry was asked to close its doors. However, Grace succeeded and found opportunities to star on both an ITV screen production and on the stage with the Strictly Theatre Company, alongside Anton Du Beke and Giovanni Pernice. Grace is doing exceptionally well within her career and tells us how her ultimate aim for the future is to simply keep working and to be happy.
Grace, you’re a shining example for all future Musical Theatre students. All of us at Stockton Riverside College wish Grace all the best for her future and can’t wait to see where her career takes her next.
