Seventeen-year-old former Greenhill pupil Sita Thomas from Penally is to make her acting debut in London's West End early in the new year. Sita, currently studying A Levels in Surrey, has been invited by director Juliet Knight to join the cast of the National Youth Theatre' s production of White Boy, which runs at the Soho Theatre from January 16 to February 9.
Sita became a member of National Youth Theatre after successfully auditioning to attend a residential workshop in August.
From this she was selected to be a member of a small cabaret company that performed for HRH Prince Edward and 50 guests at a gala dinner at Frogmore House at Windsor Castle, a favourite retreat of Queen Victoria.
The company spent October half-term holiday under the directorship of Juliet Knight researching and devising work based on the history of Frogmore House. Following this, Ms. Knight invited Sita to join the existing cast of White Boy in their second run.
An excited Sita said: "Being a member of NYT has been such a great experience for me so far. The initial intensive ensemble course was fantastic, and I learnt so much from my director and the other members on my course. It's brilliant to be working with such talented individuals and I'm constantly improving and being inspired.
"Performing at Frogmore House was surreal, to be touching an ornament given to Queen Victoria by Prince Albert on her desk left me quite speechless! After performing a monologue as an evacuee and having a conversation with Prince Edward, we performed a 10-minute comedy ensemble piece which culminated with a Bollywood dance that I taught everyone, drawing on the fact that Queen Victoria was the Empress of India.
"The buzz I got at the end is something I will never forget. Now I can't wait to begin rehearsals for White Boy!"
Former members of National Youth Theatre include James Bond actor Daniel Craig; Little Britain's David Walliams and Matt Lucas; Dame Helen Mirren; and Tenby-based actor Richard Hope.
Sita's first drama teachers in Pembrokeshire were LAMDA coach Gillian Rawlins and Andy Greenhouse at the Torch Youth Theatre.
White Boy returns to the Soho Theatre after a highly-acclaimed sell-out run in the summer. This electric and deeply moving play, written by Tanika Gupta, sets young love against a background of racial tensions and knife crime and examines what it means to be a white boy in Britain today. Tickets and further information from http://www.sohotheatre.com">www.sohotheatre.com telephone 0870 429 6883.