Two Local Youngsters Take To The Leatherhead Theatre Stage in THE RAILWAY CHILDREN MUSICAL

Local students, Romy Clarkson and Ben Banyard, will be taking to The Leatherhead Theatre Stage alongside the professional actors in Leatherhead Rep's production of The Railway Children Musical this November.

Romy, 14, and Ben, 17, both from Epsom, will play the roles of Phyllis and Jim in this brand new musical adaptation of Edith Nesbit's much-loved classic. They will gain valuable experience of working in professional rep theatre before they both aim to develop their skills in preparation for a career on the stage.

Ben, who is in his first year of studying for his A Levels (which include drama) at Blenheim High School, said "I am thrilled to be joining Leatherhead Rep for this production of the Railway Children and can not wait to learn from and perform with this fantastic team".

Katherine Mount, producer of the season commented "We are so pleased to have been able to offer this opportunity to some local young people. Repertory theatre was the training ground for many of this country's best-loved actors and it's a privilege to be able to continue this tradition. We are very much looking forward to working with Romy and Ben, they are both very talented and we shall be following their future careers with interest".

The Railway Children runs from Thursday 15th to Saturday 17th November at 7.30pm, with a matinee performance at 2.30pm on Saturday after beginning with two schools performances at 10.30am on Tuesday 13th and Wednesday 14th November. The production will be staged and directed by Michael Strassen.

Tickets for The Railway Children, and Leatherhead Rep's other November season shows Waiting for God and Season's Greetings are available online at www.leatherheadrep.com or direct from The Leatherhead Theatre box office on 01372365141.