A pupil from Durham School has beaten fierce competition to accept a place at the prestigious Guildford School of Acting, one of the most highly regarded theatre schools in the UK.
Ben Pulman, 18, from Durham, will be studying BA(Hons) Actor-Musician course in September at the university, whose alumni includes much loved British Actor Bill Nightly and popular children’s entertainer Justin Fletcher.
Durham School is a place where music, art and drama flourish, with all pupils taking part, and well over half the pupils learning an individual instrument or being involved with drama productions.
Ben will be taking his final curtain call at Durham School in the role of Fagin in the upcoming whole school production of Oliver!, set to take centre stage at the Gala Theatre from the 22-24 March 2018.
Co-curricular drama is at the heart of Durham School activity, with many students participating with enthusiasm in drama events, regardless of whether they have chosen to study drama as a GCSE or A Level option.
Ben said: “I’m delighted to have been accepted on such a prestigious and well-known drama course. The competition for drama school places is notoriously fierce and I’m excited to continue my learning in one of the best universities in the UK.
“I’ve always loved drama and owe some of my success to the excellent drama programme and opportunities available at Durham School as part of my classes and my extracurricular activities. I can’t wait to perform to my friends and family as Fagin at the Gala Theatre in my last big production as part of the school.”
Many pupils at Durham School take an active interest in the full range of drama activity on offer; with the student technical and production team providing the lighting, sound and set for performances.
Two other former pupils from recent years are now studying at two of the country’s leading drama schools, Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts and Arts ED, presided over by none other than Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Amy Brownlee, Head of Drama at Durham School, said: “Being accepted into the Guildford School of Acting which is a solid acting class is a staggering achievement given the highly competitive nature of drama school courses. It’s unusual that an 18-year-old, fresh out of school, will be accepted first time.
“Ben is exceptionally talented and through the curricular and co-curricular opportunities at Durham School we have endeavored to nurture this talent and prepare him for a career in theatre.
“The Arts at Durham School fuels creativity, inspiring our next generation to go into the cultural industry and provides them with the confidence to do so.”
Tickets are now available to the general public for Oliver! and can be purchased from the Gala Theatre website or box office
For more information on Durham School please visit http://www.durhamschool.co.uk/ or call 0191 731 9270.