Sophia takes centre stage in hit musical

A student from the Stagecoach theatre school in Exeter has taken centre stage in the hit West End and Broadway production of Shrek The Musical® at the Theatre Royal, Plymouth this month.

Nine-year-old Sophia Rochfort sailed through her auditions organised by the Stagecoach Agency, to secure the part of the one of the lead characters, the Young Shrek and Grumpy the Dwarf.

The UK and Ireland Tour of Shrek The Musical® is directed by Nigel Harman who starred as Lord Farquaad in the West End production at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, winning him the 2012 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical. The show is running until the 15th August in Plymouth.

Stagecoach Principal, Caroline Rochfort, says: "Sophia is delighted to be performing in the show. She’s such a big fan of the film and was absolutely ecstatic to find out she’d landed a role in the musical. She’s trained very hard over the past year and this is a great reward for her efforts."

Sophia Rochfort, student at Stagecoach Exeter says: "When I found out I got the part I was really excited, I was jumping up and down in the car. I’m really looking forward to being in the show as I love being on the Theatre Royal stage. I'm especially looking forward to having my own solo.

"This show will bring me one step closer to achieving my dreams. I'd love a career on the big stages in the West End, or maybe even Broadway, but I'd also like to do films as well. I just want to do it all!"

The story follows an unlikely hero and his loyal steed Donkey as they embark on a quest to rescue the beautiful Princess Fiona from a fire-breathing dragon. Add the diminutive Lord Farquaad, a gang of fairytale misfits, and a biscuit with attitude, and you’ve got the biggest, brightest musical comedy around

Alongside Sophia, Shrek The Musical® stars Dean Chisnall as beloved swamp-dwelling ogre ‘Shrek’, the role he previously played in the West End, Faye Brookes as damsel in distress ‘Princess Fiona’, Idriss Kargbo as Shrek’s wisecracking sidekick ‘Donkey’ and Gerard Carey as pint-sized villain ‘Lord Farquaad’.

They will be joined by a full company of fairy-tale characters including Bronté Barbé, Nikki Bentley, Jennifer Caldwell, Candace Furbert, Steffan Harri, Will Haswell, James Lacey, Mia Lincoln, Rory Maguire, Neil Moors, Jenny O’Leary, Georgina Parkinson, Ryan Reid, Leo Roberts, Jacqui Sanchez, Oliver Tester, James Winter, Kerry Winter and Kevin Yates.

Shrek The Musical® will run at the Theatre Royal, Plymouth until Saturday 15th August. Tickets for the shows are on sale now and available online at: www.shrekthemusical.co.uk/tour-dates/

Exeter Stagecoach School is part of a network of more than 600 part-time Theatre Arts Schools Worldwide.

Early stages classes are available for children aged 4 to 6 and Main School classes take place for 6 to 18 year olds.

For more information on the Exeter Stagecoach School, please visit the website www.stagecoach.co.uk/exeter or call 01297 35632.