Local pupil moves from school stage to professional actor training
A young performer from Morpeth is celebrating outstanding A-level results and the chance to progress towards a professional theatre career. Ella McFetrich, 18, earned A grades in History, Psychology and Theatre Studies at Dame Allan’s Schools and will join the Newcastle Theatre Royal’s Project A actor training programme.
Her interest in performance began in early childhood with dance lessons and developed through local companies and school drama productions. Ella’s early classes with a Cramlington dance company saw her take roles in community shows such as Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland, and she later became a regular participant in full-scale productions at Dame Allan’s from Year 10 onwards.
- School roles included Pugsley in The Addams Family, ensemble parts in High School Musical and The Servant of Two Masters, and the role of Fagin in the whole-school production of Oliver!
- She is also linked to the Morpeth-based CAST agency
- Project A is a full-time, year-long course covering acting techniques, Shakespeare, stage combat, audition preparation and industry practice
Family ties to the school run deep: Ella’s mother, Nicky Shiell, attended Dame Allan’s and took part in its productions, and the couple who are her parents met while performing together during their university days. Those connections helped shape her path into drama lessons at school and community performance groups.
“I’ve always loved performing. There’s so much joy in it,”
She described the loss of live performance during the Covid pandemic as a particularly difficult period. When shows were suspended, Ella said it felt like an important part of school and community life had gone missing. Now she looks forward to Project A as a practical step that will bridge the gap between school and further training.
What Project A offers and local context
Newcastle Theatre Royal’s Project A is designed to provide a year of intensive actor training before participants move on to higher education or professional opportunities. The programme’s curriculum includes core acting work, classical text and Shakespeare, stage fighting, self-taping for auditions and guidance on the realities of working within the industry.
For a student from Morpeth, the course offers a structured transition into the regional performing-arts scene. It also underlines the role local schools and agencies play in nurturing talent: a teacher who had experience of Project A encouraged Ella to apply, and the CAST agency in Morpeth has supported her alongside school activities.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| A-levels | History (A), Psychology (A), Theatre Studies (A) |
| Next step | Newcastle Theatre Royal — Project A (year-long full-time actor training) |
| Local connections | Dame Allan’s Schools, CAST agency (Morpeth) |
The success of a student like Ella highlights the contribution of smaller towns to the North East’s cultural life. Morpeth’s local companies and school departments provide opportunities for young people to gain stage experience long before they reach conservatoire or professional training. Community-based groups, after-school clubs and regional casting agencies can all be important stepping stones.
For parents and pupils in the area, Ella’s path underscores the practical value of sustained participation: early exposure to dance and drama, regular involvement in productions, and links to local agencies and teachers with professional experience. Those elements combined have enabled a route from community stages in and around Morpeth to a recognised training scheme in Newcastle.
Ella’s next year will focus on consolidation of technique and preparation for the demands of a working actor. Project A aims to give participants both the artistic tools and the practical knowledge — such as audition skills and self-taping — needed to take the next steps, whether that is university drama courses or direct entry into the profession.
The story provides a timely reminder of the creative pathways available close to home for Morpeth families and the importance of sustained local support for young artists.
