Winning Young Actor of Mann in 2009 was truly a defining moment in my life and remains one of my proudest achievements. I was lucky enough to win the award at my first attempt, shortly after appearing in my first adult theatre production as the student Lesgles in Douglas Choral Union’s Les Misérables; itself an unbelievable experience.

At the time, I had plenty of experience performing in musicals and plays throughout school and at Stage One Drama School, but competing in YAOM gave me the opportunity to develop my skills as an actor and showcase my range. The prize itself was a fantastic and unique adventure – a week-long music theatre summer camp in Berkshire called THRIFT. It inspired me to think outside the box, challenging myself creatively and broadening my horizons both artistically and personally. I even learned to play the ukulele in just two days, a skill I later used when accompanying junior Stage One students performing George Formby’s “Riding in the TT Races”. THRIFT is also where I made friendships that have lasted to this day – most recently reuniting in the Tuscan countryside for one of those friends’ weddings.

It showed me early on that theatre has the power to create lifelong connections and unforgettable moments. Shortly after winning, I was cast as the lead in Dreamstar IOM Productions’ pantomime Peter Pan, my first professional acting role and the one that means the most to me. I owe enormous thanks to Jacqui and Sonia at Stage One for their unwavering support and exceptional teaching. Their belief in me was instrumental to my development, and I’ll always treasure the fact that Jacqui joined me on stage (playing Mrs Lovett as we performed Not While I’m Around from Sweeney Todd) in a repeat of my YAOM winning performance at that year’s Raise the Roof charity concert. I went on to study BA (Hons) Drama & English at the University of Huddersfield, graduating in 2014.

During summer breaks, I returned to the Isle of Man to perform in Taylorian Productions’ Evita and Cats, experiences that reinforced how special the Island’s arts community is. Following this, I performed extensively across the North of the UK, including the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe, where I co-produced and acted in a modern interpretation of Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus. The Isle of Man theatre scene will always hold a special place in my heart, with the Gaiety Theatre remaining the most incredible venue I’ve ever had the pleasure of performing in.

I’m currently Marketing Manager for a global engineering business, but continue to perform professionally as a singer at weddings and events across the UK, alongside playing lead roles in amateur productions. Most recently, I played Dewey Finn in School of Rock in 2023 and 2025, winning multiple awards. I firmly believe my biggest achievements to date can be traced back to the confidence and opportunity the Young Actor of Mann award gave me and would highly recommend any budding performer to enter!