Welling has a star in the making! Olivia Hallett, ex-pupil of Foster’s School and Crown Woods School, took the lead part in Cole Porter’s musical, Anything Goes at The Other Palace Theatre in Victoria. Olivia has been supported by grants from the Trust and members of the Trust were delighted to watch the show and see her dazzling performance.
Just 18 years old, Olivia was selected, from nationwide auditions, to play the lead role in the prestigious National Youth Music Theatre production which has launched the careers of Jude Law and Sheridan Smith to name but two. Theatre critic, John O’Brien, wrote in London Theatre 1: “I can say without hesitation that the standard achieved by the NYMT is staggeringly good. The acting is not just good it is highly sophisticated and nuanced. The singing is wonderful and the dance routines are nothing short of sensational. This production could comfortably transfer tomorrow to the Savoy Theatre on the Strand. It’s that good… Reno Sweeney [played by Olivia] is a life force… She can act, sing and dance no problem. Full of confidence and charisma she can hold the stage and lead the entire cast with seemingly effortless ease. As she does superbly at the end of Act 1 when she leads the whole company in a thrillingly uplifting rendition of Anything Goes”.
Well done, Olivia! We really enjoyed the show and wish you well in your future career.
