A West Lothian teenager is set to pursue a career in musical theatre after being inspired by an initiative to encourage more males in the industry.
Josh Ure, a former pupil of James Young High School, is preparing to enter the second year of training for a BA (Hons) Acting qualification at The MGA Academy of Performing Arts in Edinburgh.
The 18 year old applied for a place at the leading school after signing up for a week-long workshop as part of an initiative to encourage more males to get into the industry.
Lads Week, which is held annually at The MGA Academy, brings boys aged 13+ with an interest in performing arts together for a free week of classes, workshops, and Q&A sessions led by successful male performers and teachers from the industry.
Josh began performing with amateur theatre groups The Livingston Players when he was a child, but it was only after being given the opportunity to interact with professionals that he realised that performing could be more than just a hobby.
He said:“At that age I never really understood the theatre industry or how to get into it.
“Growing up, boys often get told that singing and dancing is not for them.
“After taking part in Lads Week at The MGA Academy, I felt heard and represented.
“Usually, you finish a workshop and that’s it - there’s no follow-up. But I left Lads Week with a big list of plays, monologues and songs I could learn from, and plans to progress.”
Josh has already performed in several amateur productions - voicing his appreciation of The MGA Academy’s flexibility in allowing students to take on personal projects alongside their training.
Josh added: “Training at The MGA Academy has been one of the hardest but most rewarding experiences of my life.
“It’s developing that discipline that prepares you for going out to work in the industry once you graduate.
“The hours are long, and it takes a couple of months to adjust, but the results are almost immediate.
“My family came to see me perform at the end of my first year and they were gobsmacked.
“They don’t get to see me perform every day, so the difference was very noticeable to them.
“There is so much precision in the training - it’s the little things that you might not notice that yourself that make such a big difference.”
Recent graduates of The MGA Academy include Disney film star Thomas Doherty (The Lodge, Descendents 2), West End stars Fergal McGoff (Matilda, Mamma Mia and The Bodyguard), Caitlin Tipping (Frozen the Musical) and Rhiannon Chesterman (Mrs Henderson Presents), and Rebecca Stenhouse, who recently played Sandy in Grease aboard Harmony of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship.
The school is hoping to recruit more young men from West Lothian, and has invited any interested young actors to audition on Sunday (August 7) by visiting the MGA academies website.
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