We were excited to hear that JBug Aaron had the incredible experience of performing at the Royal Variety Performance (RVP), with the cast of Oliver! The Musical. Filmed at the end of November and broadcast on TV in December, the RVP raises money for charity and is usually attended by a senior member of the royal family.
Aaron joined the cast of Oliver! in July after a tough open audition process that his agent put him forward for. He says, “I was so excited to get the role of Sidney Chattoway in Fagin’s gang and felt proud that all my hard work rehearsing had paid off! I originally performed the role at the Chichester Festival Theatre last summer, from July to September and because of my hard work and passion for performing, I was invited to join the London West End cast.
“I was so honoured to perform in the 2024 Royal Variety Performance—it was such a special experience! But I felt a lot of tension as I knew His Majesty the King was watching. It was great as I even got featured in the video trailer.
“Usually, I perform in about four shows each week. Sometimes there are two shows in one day, which can be very tiring, but I always do my best to stay energised throughout the shows. It takes a lot of commitment!
“The best part is making friends with other young, talented performers. We have grown really close and have so much fun together. It has also been amazing to have my family and so many friends come to watch me perform. I especially loved seeing them cheer for me as I was leaving through the stage door after the show. Some young audience members and their families have asked me for photos and autographs because they loved my performance.
“I have been performing since the age of six and have a deep passion for Drama. I greatly enjoy Miss Deas’ inspiring Drama lessons but haven’t been able to join a school production yet due to scheduling conflicts with the intensive rehearsals for Oliver! I am really hoping to join the Drama productions in the Spring term.”
Well done and thanks for sharing your story, Aaron!
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