TALENTED teenager Charlene Fairish has landed her first lead role in a major theatre production.
Charlene has dreamed of theatre stardom since she was a toddler so it was a wish come true when she won the role of Maria in Durham Gala Theatre's summer 2003 production of West Side Story.
Charlene, a pupil of Spennymoor Comprehensive School, will start rehearsals for the show in February and perform in front of an audience of more than 500.
The 15-year-old has been a dancer since she was five and has been acting since she turned eight.
She is a member of Spennymoor Youth Theatre Group and recently appeared with members in Fame at Her Majesty's Theatre, London. She is a member of the National Youth Music and Theatre Group and also teaches dance at the Joanne Banks Dancers studio in nearby Middlestone Moor. But next summer's show is by far her biggest achievement.
She said: "This is my first lead role and I'm really looking forward to it.
"I really enjoy dancing but my absolute dream is to act professionally in the West End one day. I've done dance shows and amateur dramatic productions but I'm hoping the Gala Theatre show will give me the confidence and practice to aim for an acting career."
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