Fame beckons for Fife youngster

Gemma on stage at the Lochgelly Centre playing Jeremy in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Gemma Duncan (11), a P6 pupil at Kinghorn Primary School, will be one of just 25 on the course at the capital’s Broughton High School, when she starts in September.

The year-long programme, which runs every Friday, is open to young singers, dancers and actors in P6 and P7 across the Edinburgh area and culminates in a summer show.

Gemma heard about the programme from a friend when she was dancing in the junior chorus at the pantomime at Adam Smith Theatre.

Her mum Debbie, said: “From a very young age she knew she wanted to perform and was always singing and dancing around the house. She spends hours on YouTube teaching herself as well as going to all her classes.”

Last year before being in the pantomime she was junior dance captain at the Pauline Quirke Academy’s performance of The Lazy Ace at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London.

She trains for 10 hours a week, learning aerial dance at Pole-o-rama as well as doing jazz, ballet, tap, acro, musical theatre and singing lessons at Moghimian Arts School of Performance in Kirkcaldy.

Gemma said: “I was so excited when mum got the email that I was crying.

“It’s a dream come true and I’m going to work really hard to learn as much as I can and be the best I can.”