A talented student from Adcote School is off to the bright lights of the West End after beating stiff competition from hundreds of other young performers across the country.

Hattie Candler has landed a starring role with the National Youth Music Theatre's production A Little Princess, which will run at The Other Palace in August.

The achievement comes less than two weeks after the 11-year-old also won the overall title of ‘Young Performer of the Year’ at this year’s Oswestry Youth Music Festival.

Hattie, who loves to act, sing and dance, said it was the first time she had ever taken part in theatre auditions of this kind - following the advice of Adcote's head of music, Chris Bunn - and hadn’t expected to get through to the second round of auditions, let alone land the part of Ermengarde.

“My mum thought I should go to the auditions to learn how hard it was to work in theatre," said Hattie, "I went to Birmingham and came away feeling annoyed with myself because I didn’t think I had done very well. I couldn’t believe it when my mum said I’d got the call to go to the London auditions.

“I had to prepare a song, a dance and some pieces of acting for them. I had read the script for A Little Princess and really liked the part of Ermengarde. She is very funny and is a comedy character.

“I came away feeling I did well but still didn’t imagine I would get a part. Then when my mum, who is a teacher at Adcote, came into the dining hall a few weeks later to tell me that I’d got a part and was playing the role I really wanted I nearly choked on my food, burst out crying and started jumping up and down.

“It’s weird to imagine that I am in a lead role in my first proper musical theatre production. I can’t put into words how excited I am.”

Hattie’s mum Nicky said: “We are so proud of Hattie. It’s going to be an incredible experience for her.

"The funny things is, I’d encouraged her to go to the auditions to set her expectations, show her how hard it was being an actor, and not to feel upset if she didn’t get a part. So for her to get a lead role is very special and very exciting.”

The hard work of intense rehearsals will start this Easter holiday when Hattie will spend a week in SevenOaks in Kent, along with the other members of the cast. She will then spend two weeks rehearsing at University College London in August before taking to the stage.

Mr Bunn said: “It’s an incredible achievement for Hattie. She was up against hundreds and hundreds of other performers and to land one of the major roles is just amazing.

“It adds to her fantastic success in winning the Oswestry Youth Music Festival’s Young Performer of the Year title where she was up against every single vocalist and instrumentalist who had won their class.”

Hattie won the U12s Vocal Solo class and, along with fellow members of the Adcote PlusOnes singing group, won the Vocal Ensemble with distinction too.