Biddy goes west in bid for stardom

11:05am Friday 2nd May 2008

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A TEENAGE performing arts student is preparing for an audition that could make her dreams come true.

Biddy Atkinson, from Ingleby Cross, near Northallerton has got down to the casting stages of Spring Awakening, a new production to be staged at the Lyric Theatre in London's West End from January.

The show is a rock musical, based in Germany in the 1800s, which focuses on the sexual awakening of some teenagers.

It will be the first time it has come to the West End, though it enjoyed success on Broadway in 2006.

"I have read the story and I have the songs and it's really good," said Miss Atkinson.

"I think I'm one of those lucky people - they haven't found what they are looking for and they have opened it up a bit more."

She auditions next Thursday and is up against some already established talent including Kerry Ellis, who has appeared in the West End productions of Wicked, Les Miserables and We Will Rock You.

"I know who I'm up against and it's quite daunting," she said. "I'm proud to get this far.

To just be up against them. I keep thinking oh God, I'm going to be in the same room as them' but it's like anything really. You have just got to keep your head and get on with the job."

Biddy studied performing arts with Stage Coach for five years before attending Northallerton College, where she is taking a performing arts A-level.

She also takes singing lessons from Linzi Hunter, of Norton, and does ballroom and Latin dancing at Marton Country Club, Middlesbrough.

To secure the audition, which is by invitation-only, Biddy sent in a demo CD.

She will sing two songs on the day - Nobody Knows by Pink and If Only She Knew by Michelle Branch.

Last year, Biddy competed in the Festival4Stars competition and got all the way to the grand finals in Glasgow, representing the North-East, and Blackpool representing North Yorkshire.