Wakefield students live the West End dream with performance on national television

More than a dozen students from CAPA (Creative and Performing Arts) College in Wakefield lived out their dream when they performed live alongside musicals from the West End.

On Saturday (Mar 22), the youngsters will re-live their moment when it broadcasts on BBC television.

All 15 of the students study dance and musical theatre full-time at CAPA.

The college opened in 2006 to provide a lifeline for aspiring arts students.

It is the only Department for Education-funded Free School specialising in the arts in the northeast of England.

CAPA College now has 500 full-time students studying in a range of disciplines, including: dance, drama, musical theatre, film & TV and production.

All have dreams of finding careers in the West End or on the professional stage and screen.

And now – thanks to The National Lottery – they have received a taster of what theatre superstar life really feels like.

They were chosen to take part in Big Night of Musicals by The National Lottery which was staged at the AO Arena in Manchester earlier this year and hosted by Jason Manford.

Their chosen dance performance was Electricity from Billy Elliot/

CAPA College has received £14,653 of funding from The National Lottery to support its growth and development.

It used the funding to invest in a young playwriter, a CAPA College alumni, who worked to create a script which developed into an original play which toured across regional theatre venues and was supported by The National Theatre.

This eventually culminated in a UK tour for CAPA College.

Claire Nicholson, college principal, said, “Performing at the AO Arena and alongside Jason Manford was literally a dream come true for the CAPA College students.

“They haven’t stopped talking about it! It was an amazing opportunity to have a real taste of what being a stage superstar really feels like performing alongside leading West End names to a sell-out arena as well as on national television.

“This weekend will be very special when they get to watch themselves back on TV. It will be a moment they will never forget!

“This has been an unforgettable, once in a lifetime experience and we are so grateful to The National Lottery for making this dream come true for these incredible young people.”

Felix Yates, 18, one of the students who performed, said, “It was such an amazing opportunity performing at The Big Night of Musicals and I will truly never forget it.

“We worked alongside industry professionals such as James Bennett, our amazing choreographer, who pushed us and was able to make us look like professionals on that stage.”