Dream Come True…
Dancer Beatrice Armitage, who recently appeared on stage in London’s West End, beat thousands of young hopefuls when she auditioned for a part in the hit musical Matilda
A young star of the West End stage, Beatrice Armitage has just completed a six-month run in the worldwide hit, Matilda the Musical.
The Royal Shakespeare Company’s long-running production at the Cambridge Theatre in Covent Garden is now in its 13th year and 10-year-old Beatrice was delighted to be named among the new, young performers.
Beatrice, who attends Stonyhurst College, was chosen to play the part of Amanda Thripp in the musical – a character famed for the show’s iconic ‘pigtail scene’.
Through special effects, Beatrice was spun around in the air by her pigtails: “It was such good fun – the first time we rehearsed the spin I just wanted to do it again! The lights go down and the special effects were amazing! After spinning six times finally Amanda falls and everyone below catches her,” says Beatrice. “It was a dream come true to appear on the West End stage.”
Beatrice got the all-singing and dancing role after a series of auditions in London that saw her competing against 4,000 other young hopefuls: “The first audition went really well. I had to prepare a song and monologue in front of the director and musicians. I then had a dance recall and three more auditions.”
Beatrice’s mum Louise recalls: “After the final audition we got an email to say Beatrice had got the part of Amanda Thripp – they said she excelled in dance and shone at the auditions.”
“When I got the part I was super-excited!” says Beatrice, who had three months of rehearsals before the show opened: “While the rehearsals were really intense and they were long days, it was lovely to meet the other cast members and make new friends.”
When the opening night arrived Beatrice says: “I wasn’t particularly nervous, just excited – I didn’t want to forget anything as it was my first time on stage in the West End!”
Beatrice began competing in dance when she was just three, as Louise explains: “I initially took Beatrice to baby ballet when she was two-and-a-half and she just loved dancing and performing. She then began competing and people started commenting on how advanced she was.”
Dad Christian adds: “From a very young age Beatrice always stood out, when she goes on stage it’s like flicking a switch.”
Beatrice went on to become the Theatre Dance Council International (CTDI) British Champion at the age of four. Recognising her talent, her parents enrolled her at the McLaren Dance Company and when she was six, she joined the Royal Ballet’s Junior Associate Programme in Manchester – continuing on the programme with the Royal Ballet during her time in London.
Her remarkable progress led her to winning numerous championship awards and an appearance on TV’s Britain’s Got Talent (BGT) where all four judges gave her a resounding ‘yes’: “Beatrice works very hard and that has led her to excel in all kinds of dance – that’s where she comes into her own,” says Christian.
Beatrice was also offered a scholarship with one of the premier dance companies in the world – the Joffrey Balley School in New York after sending audition tapes: “She didn’t just get offered a place – she was offered a scholarship up to the age of 18 on the ballet programme.”
Around the same time, the opportunity arose to audition for Matilda in London after she was put forward by her management company Stagebox.
With rehearsals starting in mid-June last year, the show opened in September: “It was an opportunity that she didn’t want to miss so she had to turn down the scholarship in New York. As a family we don’t want her to regret anything and Matilda was an amazing opportunity,” adds Christian.
During their time living in London Louise home-schooled Beatrice with remote support from tutors at Stonyhurst: “Stonyhurst have been absolutely fantastic! They have authorised everything Beatrice has done and have been phenomenally supportive. We couldn’t ask for more. We are delighted that our daughter is a pupil at such an unbelievable school. They’ve really embraced Beatrice and her talent.”
Beatrice studies dance and drama at Stonyhurst with LAMDA and looking to the future, her real dream is to become a ballerina.
When she moved to London to appear in Matilda it was paramount to Louise, Mclaren and ballet coach Lisa Rowlands, that Beatrice’s ballet technique was sustained. As a result, she has been training with one of the first soloists from the Royal Ballet, Sophie Allnatt and she has recently been auditioning for a place at the prestigious White Lodge in Richmond – the Lower School of the Royal Ballet. Beatrice has just been informed she has made it through to the final audition (approximately 30 dancers) from over 1,000 applicants.
Christian adds: “As a family we are so incredibly proud of Beatrice. It’s through her hard work that she has achieved so much already.”
Follow Beatrice’s journey on Instagram: instagram.com/miss_beatrice_uk
