A TALENTED young performer has set the stage for a career in the arts after gaining a place on a coveted drama course.

Richmond School sixth-former Ed Batchelor saw off competition from over 4,000 hopefuls from across the UK to secure a place at the National Youth Theatre where students are taught a range of skills and acting techniques by professionals within the industry.

The 17-year-old, of Melsonby, said: “I’ve always known that I wanted to be an actor ever since I was four-years-old.

“I was watching an episode of Friends on the television and asked my mum what the people were doing; she explained that they were acting, pretending to be someone else, and I thought, I could do that.

“Since then I’ve been part of a number of productions and have been so lucky to have been able to work with really talented drama students and teachers here at Richmond School who have been real role models for me.”

The National Youth Theatre has launched the careers of some of Britain’s biggest stars, including Dame Helen Mirren, Orlando Bloom, Daniel Craig, Colin Firth and Daniel Day-Lewis.