Atticus Lorenzo, a Year 9 student at St Gregory’s school in Bath, has won the junior category in the 2017 Bath Young Actor of the Year competition, held recently The Edge Theatre at the University of Bath.
The finalists were required to devise and perform five two-minute performances with an interlinked theme. Atticus’ repertoire explored how, in theatre, human characteristics have been given to creatures in verse, memorised prose and drama. Atticus performed extracts from:
– The Ash Girl by Timberlake Wertenbaker
– The Roustabout Rooster by Ted Hughes
– The Wakefield Mysteries by Adrian Henri
– Gus, The Theatre Cat by T.S Eliot
– Animal Farm by George Orwell
Speaking about his performance Atticus said, “I was so pleased to win. The theme really stretched my acting and took on a number of quite dark and serious pieces. I’m used to playing more comedic roles and so found the topic challenging but really enjoyed trying new styles and learning new skills. It’s definitely helped me to explore different genres and develop my confidence.”
As expected, the standard of performances from all finalists was incredibly high. Atticus impressed the judges with his confident and diverse repertoire, whilst demonstrating his exceptional talent and passion for acting. He was presented with the trophy by Wera Hobhouse MP and former Mayor of Bath and President of The Mid-Somerset Festival, Cherry Beath.
St Gregory’s Headmisstress, Ann Cusack, said, “This is a fantastic achievement and we are so thrilled and proud of Atticus. His performances on stage continue to go from strength to strength and this award is testimony to his hard work and creativity. He is a delight to watch, with consistently high standards of acting and a gift for engaging audiences. He is a delightful young man with great talent and we look forward to seeing more great things to come from Atticus.”
You can see Atticus perform in the forthcoming school production of ‘The Sound of Music’ later this year, taking on the role of Uncle Max. Tickets will be on sale in the coming months from the Saint Gregory’s School office on 01225 832873 or can be reserved by email at email hidden; JavaScript is required.