Woodbridge Farlingaye High School student Samuel Eartholl honoured at first National School Theatre Awards

A Woodbridge student was greeted to a red carpet welcome after a dazzling theatre performance secured him an award.

Samuel Eartholl, who attends Farlingaye High School, was invited to the very first National School Theatre Awards, held at the Shaw Theatre in London, on June 24.

The ceremony, dubbed the ‘Oscars for schools’ and having been backed by actor Callum Turner with guest appearances from television legend David Bradley and actress Kara Tointon, celebrates the best of school theatre.

Samuel secured the Best Supporting Actor award for his role in The Little Mermaid.

Like all VIPs and nominees, he was greeted on the red carpet by West End leading lady Abbie Budden before making their way into the ceremony.

They were joined by the likes of James Taylor, music supervisor for Wonka and Eoin Mallon, who recently worked with Olivia Coleman.

Callum Turner said: “As a patron of the National School Theatre Awards, I am honoured to celebrate the dedication and passion of young actors.

“Witnessing the hard work they put into school productions and the immediate rewards it brings is truly inspiring.”

During the ceremony, awards were handed out for 15 different categories, rating a number of criteria including best choreography, best ensemble, best actor or actress and best musical production.

For many of these categories, two winners would be selected.

David Bradley, who delivered the Best Actor Award, said he was honoured to have been invited to the ceremony.

He said: “It was a fantastic way to showcase the students’ achievements and I was inspired by the outstanding performances from schools across the country.

“As I said on the night, if this is the future of theatre, ‘wow!’. It truly was like a mini-Oscars for schools, making it a very special evening.”

In the future, the awards are set to take place annually.

Nominations for the 2025 awards are open to all aged 11 to 18.