New Fife theatre group launches with Scottish amateur premiere of Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory

London professional performers Lucy Duffy and Jack Blundell have teamed up to create the Playhouse Theatre Company in Dunfermline, and the curtain goes up on their debut show at the city’s Carnegie Hall in May.

Lucy Duffy, who is originally from Kinross, moved to London to train in professional musical theatre at the prestigious Italia Conti Academy. During her time, she won several awards, worked with some of the West End’s leading actors and creatives, and went on to play the leading role of Carrie in ‘Carrie the Musical’ in her final year. Prior to training in London, Lucy directed and choreographed shows such as Oliver, Hairspray and We Will Rock You. She also played leading roles such as the Lady of the Lake in Spamalot, Christine in The Phantom of the Opera and Millie in Thoroughly Modern Millie with local companies.

Jack moved to Fife from London to share over 15 years of experience in the acting industry. He has appeared in theatre, TV, immersive shows and commercials, working with the National Theatre, ITV, BBC, and Netflix.

The duo had the idea a year ago to create a theatre company - now a registered charity - that encompasses industry-standard classes and amazing performance opportunities. They are now offering a wide variety of weekly classes in Dunfermline, including musical theatre, acting and dance, as well as Pro-training, a class designed for those who have ambitions in going to drama school or a career in performance.

Lucy and Jack believe that Fife has some amazing talent and they hope to inspire people to take the next steps to achieve their dreams, as well as provide a place for theatre lovers to pursue their hobby in performing in spectacular shows.

The company officially opens at the end of January, making a splash with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ from May 14-18. Free audition workshops take place on January 27 and 28 - the company is particularly keen to see charismatic male actors with great vocal and comedic abilities for the starring role of Willy Wonka. Details via the company’s website www.playhousetheatrecompany.com

The duo said: “We are thrilled to be the first in Scotland to bring this fabulous show to the stage and have more exciting plans following the performance, including a summer stage school, a Christmas production and various other events throughout the year.”