London’s Bush Theatre Showcases Luke’s Work
Playwright and former Lamont pupil Luke Barnes continues to go from strength to strength. His latest play All I Ever Wanted Was Everything is currently wowing audiences at the legendary Bush Theatre in London.
Set across three decades, from 1997’s Cool Britannia to today’s Brexit Britain, this multi award-winning gig theatre mixes original live music from James Frewer, with bold new writing from Luke.
The play focuses on Leah and Chris; raised on Harry Potter, New Labour and a belief that one day they would be as ‘special’ as their parents promised. But what happens when those dreams don’t become reality?
Luke’s play has been attracting rave reviews:-
“a slamming-together of a play and a gig.”
The Telegraph ★★★★
“Middle Child really smashes it with a superb piece of gig theatre…combines music and storytelling in an outrageously entertaining fashion”
Lyn Gardner, The Guardian
“Glorious…a raucous, riotous 75 minutes of storytelling”
The Stage ★★★★
“Heart-wrenching and heart-warming all at once”
Broadway Baby ★★★★★
Says Luke: “All’s good my end. As well as the show at the Bush Theatre, I’ve got one coming to The Young Vic next year.”
“I’m also developing other projects trying to get them made – just the usual,” laughs Luke.
“Hopefully Luke will be visiting us soon to catch up and provide some great inspiration for other young budding playwrights in the school. No-one deserves success more than Luke who was always brilliantly imaginative and creative in his weekly drama classes and on stage” adds Mrs Lamont.
Fabulous Festival Results!
Lamont Pupils achieved a set of FABULOUS results at the 2018 SOUTHPORT FESTIVAL!
The school entered 25 classes and gained an outstanding 20 first places.
Said Mrs Lamont, “When we return for our new term in September, it is always a very quick turnaround to prepare for our much-loved Southport Festival. You all delivered fantastic performances, particularly considering that you had just 6 lessons to choose, learn and perfect your verse, prose reading and acting pieces. You should all be very proud of this significant achievement. It’s a joy to watch you all gain so much enjoyment from bringing your pieces to the appreciative audiences at Southport Festival and to see you gaining confidence and experience whilst you excel.”
“I look forward to the same level of enthusiasm and commitment as we turn our sights to our next set of LAMDA exams. The last couple of sessions have resulted in incredible results across the school, so I’m hoping for the same high level of success at the end of the year.”
VERSE SPEAKING
Under 8
1st Martha Last 2nd Bobby Marshall
Under 10
1st Verity Clark 2nd Serafina Campolucci-Bordi
Under 12 A
Joint 1st Evie Clark/Orlando Campolucci-Bordi 3rd Beth Edwards
Under 12 B
1st Jemima Brooks 2nd Jessica Harrison 3rd Joseph Bigley
Under 13
1st Jasmine McElhinney 2nd Annabel Harrison
Under 14 A
2nd Ellie Edwards
Under 14 B
2nd Lydia Russell
Under 16
1st Itsoghena Oyedeji
PROSE READING
Under 10
2nd Verity Clark
Under 12
Joint 1st Joseph Bigley/Evie Clark 3rd Jessica Harrison
Under 13
Annabel Harrison
Under 14
1st Ellie Edwards
SOLO ACTING
Under 10
2nd Verity Clark
Under 12
1st Evie Clark 2nd Joseph Bigley 3rd Orlando Campolucci-Bordi
Under 14 A
2nd Annabel Harrison
Under 14 B
1st Ellie Edwards 2nd Henry Leason 3rd Lydia Russell
Under 16
1st Oliver Bigley 3rd Harry Wingate
Over 16
1st Ellis Coulter
DUOLOGUES
Under 10
1st Martha Last and Bobby Marshall
Under 12
Joint 1st Orlando Campolucci-Bordi/Joseph Bigley and Evie/Verity Clark
Under 14
1st Annabel and Jessica Harrison 3rd Hatty Hobbs and Jasmine McElhinney
SHAKESPEARE
Open
1st Ellis Coulter
# Incredible Isla
Lamont Drama pupil Isla Gie has a hat-trick of successes to celebrate.

Isla Gie
In the same week that she heard that she achieved a high distinction in her LAMDA examination she also received news that she had successfully auditioned to play the part of Éponine in the forthcoming UK and Ireland tour of the Boublil and Schönberg musical “LES MISÉRABLES”.
Isla will take on the role at the opening of the tour at the Curve, Leicester for an already sold out season from Saturday 3 November – Saturday 24 November 2018 (press night 14 November 2018).
Isla will play alongside Killian Donnelly as Jean Valjean. Killian played the role of ‘Jean Valjean’ in the West End production of “Les Misérables” until June this year. Prior to his run in “Les Misérables”, he played the role of ‘Charlie Price’ in “Kinky Boots” on Broadway, a role he originated at the Adelphi Theatre in the West End in 2015, for which he was nominated for an Olivier Award.
Cameron Mackintosh said, “When I announced the first UK tour of Les Miserables for ten years, I was really delighted that Killian said to me that he would like to continue playing Jean Valjean. No stranger to the original production, having played both Enjolras and Valjean with enormous success, his passionate take on the role will be even greater in the thrilling staging of my new production which has proved to be a worldwide success all over again. He is the first Irishman to play the role since Colm Wilkinson in the original and I’m delighted that from advance bookings, this new tour looks set to be sold out before we open”.
Isla (aka much loved grand-daughter of Lamont Drama Principal Diane Lamont) receives most of her drama lessons by skype as for the past three years she has lived in Cyprus.
Said Mrs. Lamont: “Isla has recently moved back to the UK but is now living in Nottingham so the skype lessons will still continue alongside family visits. Isla was one of the youngest children to audition for the Les Misérables” tour as she had only just reached seven by the audition date. We are all immensely proud of her.”
Before leaving Cyprus, Isla competed in the Annual National Junior Gymnastics Competition in Limassol and achieved gold, silver and bronze medals for her age group on rings, vault and floor.
Mum, Katy said: “Isla spent three years training with her Cyprus gym so we were very sad to leave her coaches and friends behind but the competition proved a lovely way to end her time with the club. She is continuing her gym and dance training in Nottingham and of course, her drama training with Lamont Drama School.”
Isla has also just competed in the Nottingham Dance Festival held each year in August. She achieved four 1st places and one 2nd place for her five solos in A section and was invited to compete in the Bursary Final alongside 11 other ‘adjudicator picks’ on the last day of the festival. She was selected as the runner up and received a special trophy and £150 bursary award. Isla also won the Junior Character Trophy.
Good luck Isla – for November when the “Les Misérables” tour begins.

Awarded first place for her French Poodle Modern at Nottingham Dance Festival 2018

Isla is awarded Runner Up Prize in the Bursary at Nottingham Festival 2018
‘Ellie’ in Wonderland
There’s fabulous news from star pupil Ellie Edwards!

Ellie Edwards
Ellie has been chosen to play Alice in the award-winning Alice Experience in Liverpool’s St George’s Hall in February. It is the second time the production company Another Place has staged this exciting event.

In 2016 , the production first staged Alice in Wonderland
Creative Director Annie Spiers says “We are so excited to have a second opportunity to stage this popular, magical event in the heart of Liverpool.
Ellie, will be one of 20 Alice’s who successfully auditioned for the role earlier this year. She will now be busy rehearsing her role from September and will appear in a minimum of five shows over the two weeks run.
Annie Spiers explains further: “It is a 90 minute walk through production where St Georges Hall is transformed to create the magical, colourful and slightly mad world of Wonderland. Visitors enter a forest of giant mushrooms, meet weird and wonderful characters, join Alice on her adventures and experience Wonderland for themselves.
Visitors follow the White Rabbit, have tea with the Mad Hatter, visit the Caterpillar, meet the Cheshire Cat, sing along with the playing cards, and avoid losing their heads with the venerable Queen of Hearts! The show will be on for two weeks in February 2019. The shows run on rotation throughout each day.
Ellie’s Mum Jayne Edwards, says: “Ellie and I are both really excited about the show. It’s a great opportunity for her to play a leading role, particularly in such an unusual and interactive production.”

The Queen will be back!
Top Results for Lamont Drama
Congratulations to all pupils who sat their LAMDA exams this July. We received a super set of results! Well Done!
Twenty-four pupils took the exams with 3 gaining high Merit and 21 gaining the top mark of Distinction (80 and over). 11 pupils gained 91 and above!
Those gaining Distinction were:
Introductory 1: Gadowl Oyedeji
Introductory 2 : Martha Last, Campbell Gie
Entry: Isla Gie
Grade 1 : Chayil Oyedeji, Jacob Cavendish, Serafina Campolucci-Bordi
Grade 2 : Ifeoluwa Oyedeji, Grace Petrie
Grade 3 : Alfie Molloy, Harry Geldart, Alexander Goldman, Callia Edwards, Lori-Jo Quinney
Grade 4 : Louisa Whorton, Liana Edwards, Orlando Campolucci-Bordi, Matilda Brookes-Jones, Niamh Hughes
Grade 7 : Grace Farnell
Grade 8 : Francesca Medlicott
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL!
Simon back on TV!
Another former pupil who continues to shine is Simon Lennon. Simon is currently starring in the BBC series Our Girl as ‘Brains’. In the previous series ‘Brains’ was seen as the clever one in 2-Section – until the arrival of Rab. But in the new series something else is troubling Brains as we see him fail to engage with the group and start snapping at his colleagues.
In addition to Simon’s role in Our Girl, he has also played Marcus Ruskin in Grantchester series three.
When he’s not busy filming, Simon is a great supporter of the National Youth Theatre and often takes on the role of assistant director with the prestigious group.
We are all very proud of you Simon – and we think you look great in your combats!
NYT commission for Luke
Congratulations to former Lamont Drama student Luke Barnes who has been commissioned by the National Youth Theatre to write a production. His play LOST BOYS NEW TOWN will be produced by the NYT in August 2018.
Since leaving Lamont, Luke has been carving out a successful career as both an actor and a playwright. He featured in the first two series of Game of Thrones and has performed extensively on stage, film and television. He also works as a writer and director.
Luke is also in demand as a teacher and has done playwrighting tutorials at the Guidhall School of Music and Drama, for the Playwrighting Group at the Royal Court Theatre, for the National Theatre, Young Vic, Nabkov, Liverpool University, National Student Drama Festival, The Oxford School Of Drama, L.I.PA, HighTide and schools across the U.K.
Lamont Drama in Cyprus!
Congratulations to Lamont Drama’s most long distance pupils – 7-year-old Isla Gie and 5-year-old Campbell Gie.
They are taught by Mrs Lamont (a.k.a. Grandma) by skype – and in their recent LAMDA exams in Limassol were awarded the brilliant Distinction marks of 96 and 92.
Well done Team Gie!
Award for Lori-Jo!
Congratulations to Lori-Jo Quinney (9) who won Litherland Moss Primary School’s poetry and prose speaking competition. Lori-Jo gained the trophy for the best performance in the whole school!
Says Mrs Lamont, “Lori-Jo is a delightful pupil, always working so hard and taking direction so well. She is also an excellent singer and dancer so this little SuperStar is definitely one to watch in the future. Well done Lori-Jo!”
Fantastic Festival Results at Wirral and Sefton!
Lamont Drama School competed in our two regular Spring drama festivals in March.
“We all had a great few days at Wirral and Sefton Performing Arts Festivals. We got fantastic results at both festivals and everyone had a lot of fun as you can see from the pictures,” said Mrs Lamont.

Inter Duologue Winners – Leah-Marie, Hatty and Jasmine!
“WELL DONE to everyone who took part, I was proud of you all.”
Full Results are on the Wirral Festival and Sefton Festival Pages.

Verse & Prose Reading Success for Grace!

The Seniors having fun – and giving winning performances – at both Wirral and Sefton!

Jemima is the Best Junior Verse Speaker at Sefton Festival.

Orlando wins both the Junior Drama Challenge Trophy and Best Actor award at Sefton.

A winning family – Harry and Grace share their success
Search
Recent News
- Congratulations Isla!
- Terrific Results from Tunbridge Wells!
- Fabulous Festival Results!
- Distinctions for All!
- Autumn Excellence
- Superb LAMDA Results
- Isla Hits Europe!
- Such Good News!
- National Youth Theatre Successes!
- Excellent Esme Takes Top Award!
- Lois Back on BBC1!
- Double Delight for Esme!
- Awesome Results from Alderley Edge!
- Full House of Distinctions
- Festival fun around the UK!
- Perfect Reunion with Sara!
- Triumph for Verse Speaking Kiki!
- Fabulous Fleetwood Festival!
- Exceptional Emma Does it Again!
- Awesome Autumn LAMDA Results