Layomi Coker & Chelsea Dutton join us as our new Apprentices on our tour of The Winters Tale & Nell Gwynn.
We are delighted to announce that this year TWO apprentices from the ‘Garden of England’ will be joining us on tour: 18 year-old Layomi Coker from Gravesend and 18 year-old Tegan Steward from the Isle of Grain. Both will play key roles in Changeling’s 19th open-air tour of William Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale and Jessica Swale’s Nell Gwynn.
Changeling’s Apprentice scheme offers a unique opportunity for young people with aspirations to be an actor to get live theatre experience and benefit from working with a professional cast and crew. Many of our apprentices have successfully gone onto drama school and professional performing careers, and this year we are grateful to have support from ARTS COUNCIL, England.
Layomi Coker showed a natural attraction to the stage from a young age. She trained at Canterbury College, where she received her Extended Diploma in Performing Arts and Production. She is very passionate about musical theatre, playing ‘Scaramouche’in Gravesend Grammar School for Boys’ production of ‘We Will Rock You’. Layomi continued to star in other GGSB productions, playing the ‘Dorothy’ in The Wizand ‘Sarah’ in Our House.
Layomi Coker says:
“I joined Changeling Theatre because it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity where I can do what I love whilst learning from those around me. This summer will allow me to become the best version of myself and to develop my skills to the best I can.”
Tegan Steward
Chelsea Dutton says:
“I joined Changeling Theatre to help me learn and grow as a person and as an actor. I am really looking forward to be immersed in this creative environment, touring some of my favourite places around the South East. I’m ecstatic to be training amongst professional actors who will challenge me and help me develop my ability and understanding of the theatre!”
If you are a business in Kent and are interested in sponsoring our Scheme then please do get in touch via our contacts page.
Previous Changeling Apprentices include:
Pip Carter was part of the Changeling Youth Theatre and played the part of Claudio in our 2003 production of Much Ado about Nothing just before he went off to RADA. Upon leaving drama school, Pip went on to appear in Party Animals along side Matt Smith, then again as WH Auden in Christopher and his Kind. Pip has also played in Posh and many plays at the National Theatre. He is currently starring in Consent.
Ellie Kendrick played in our 2005 production of Twelfth Night and was the daughter of the owners of our premiere venue, Boughton Monchelsea Place. She then went on to play the title role in the Diary of Anne Frank, Game of Thrones, The Misfits, Upstairs Downstairs as well as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet at the Globe. She is currently starring the final series of Game of Thrones, and a new film The Leveller.
Tom Oakley played various parts in our production of Comedy of Errors with hilarious consequences. From Maidstone, Tom went back to get his A levels, then went onto university in London and now is travelling the states before joining the army.
William Colyer was our Peter in Romeo and Juliet. Hailing from Margate in Kent, William is now studying at Italia Conte in London.