Year 9 pupil, Olivia, took to the stage at the Royal Albert Hall in London last night for a one-off performance of King David – A Hero’s Journey, a new musical about David and Goliath. Olivia was selected from a 3,000-stong audition to play the lead role of David’s granddaughter Maya and, because it shows her growing up throughout the story, was on stage for the entire two and half hours.
The production was part of the annual Prom Praise For Schools which includes the likes of famed singers such as Lesley Garrett and Alfie Boe. This was their biggest production to date, with a 400-plus orchestra and an audience of 5,200.
Olivia also performs on stage in Mount Kelly productions and is a member of Theatre Train in Tavistock. Her father, Craig Purnell, is an award-winning West End star and chose to act alongside Olivia in the production of King David, taking on the part of Goliath.
It was an exciting opportunity for Olivia, and she explains, “The experience was extremely helpful for developing my social and acting skills. Everyone I worked with was extremely kind and understood when I was struggling and continued to support me.”
Well done Olivia!
