High Peak teenager bags spot with prestigious British Youth Musical Theatre for third time

Ash Rodgers, 16, will be returning to perform with the British Youth Musical Theatre this summer.

Mum Karen Sowcroft said: “To perform once is a true honour but to work with the company three times is a huge achievement. Every time you audition you start from scratch so past performances don’t count so Ash has gone up against thousands of other hopefuls and impressed the judging panel each time which is amazing.”

Ash, who is a pupil at Chapel High School, suffers with autism and anxiety .

Karen said: “There is no script and they never know what people are going to say or react but when they are on stay they come alive. Ash is bubbly and smiling and you can tell they belong there.”

Ash is involved with the Chapel Players and the Buxton Opera House young company and has been shortlisted to appear in Sister Act the junior production in the summer.

Karen said: “If they get the part in Sister Act then as soon as that finishes they will head down to Exeter for the British Youth Musical Theatre.”

This year the BYMT production is Power of Camelot which looks at the descendants of the Knight of the Round Table and how those lessons are still relevant today - and there will be dragons and mythical creatures as well.

Karen said: “What’s great about the summer shows is the young cast have a say in production, if they don’t like the way a line is written they can change it and their voices are listened to. It’s a great opportunity for Ash and I’m so proud of them. When they were auditioning they were checking in with other people and helping people and showed the casting directors how much of a team player they are on and off the stage.”

The BYMT programme has also worked with Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith and Call the Midwife and Ghosts actor Charlotte Richtie before they were famous.