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Frances Encell: Horsforth pupil destined for stardom
A Horsforth schoolgirl has been has been offered a place at the prestigious Sylvia Young Theatre School in London.
The place has been offered to Frances Encell, a pupil at Froebelian School in Horsforth.
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Around 400 aspiring youngsters apply for the 28 places available each year at the Sylvia Young School.
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"We are so pleased for Frances," said John Tranmer, head teacher at Froebelian.
"She is a very talented young actress and thoroughly deserves this fabulous opportunity".
Frances has enjoyed drama from an early age. She started at Froebelian at the age of three and soon came to the attention of Lorraine Taylor-Parker, the specialist drama teacher.
"Frances has an infectious smile and is a natural performer" said Lorraine.
"She has good stage presence and I have enjoyed helping her to develop her talent from an early age".
Classic school roles for Frances have included being an angel in the nativity and the part of Pepper, one of the orphans in Annie.
When she joins Sylvia Young, Frances will be following in the footsteps of some very successful young stars.
Jamie Borthwick, who plays Jay Brown the street-wide teenager in Eastenders, is a current pupil as is Jemma McKenzie-Brown who is starring as Tiara in the film High School Musical 3.
Sylvia Young pupils can also regularly be seen on the stage in the West End in Oliver, Les Miserables and The Sound Of Music.
But, Sylvia Young pupils have their feet kept firmly on the ground because the school insists on covering a full GCSE curriculum to 16.
Frances' parents agree that this is important: "We would not have wanted Frances to go unless the school offered the chance to continue with the high academic standards she is used to," said mum Julie.
"Naturally we hope that Frances will be able to follow an acting career, if that's what she wants at 16; but we have to be realistic and it's more likely that she will be working in the real world and that's why good qualifications matter".
Outside school, Frances has already had a taste of the limelight.
She has played roles in Emmerdale and The Royal, was part of the chorus in an Opera North Production of Falstaff and, in her biggest part to date, played Jemima opposite Christopher Timothy and Kevin Kennedy (better known as Corrie's Curly Watts) in Chitty Chitty Bang-Bang at the Bradford Alhambra.
The show also had Ken Morley playing the Baron (aka Reg Holdsworth from Coronation Street).
Her biggest role at Froebelian is likely to be this year however, as Frances and her excited fellow Year 6 pupils have yet to discover what the end of year production will be.
Previous productions have included Joseph, Bugsy Malone and The Sound of Music, but until mid-February they will just have to be patient.
"Some of my friends would love to do High School Musical", said Frances. "But I don't really mind as long as there are some good roles."
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Tuesday 22 May 2012
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