Backstage Buzz: November 2025
Welcome to your monthly roundup of what’s going on at Performers College, from student and graduate success to on-campus events and achievements. Are you ready for the Backstage Buzz?
Shows and Celebrations Across Campuses
November has been a busy month for celebrations and performances. Our Brighton and Manchester campuses hosted impressive shows earlier this month, featuring our final year students. Brighton audiences were treated to productions of There Is A War and DNA at Circle Studios, whilst Manchester brought A Comedy of Errors and The House of Bernarda Alba to The Dancehouse, alongside a musical revue, The Final Curtain.
Our recent graduates then took centre stage for graduation ceremonies. Brighton campus held their celebration on 18 November at the Brighton Dome, with Manchester following on 25 November at Aviva Studios.
Masterclass from Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures
Our students were treated to a masterclass from Sam and Blue from Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures this month.
Pantomime Season
The festive season has brought brilliant opportunities for several of our graduates. Nicole Manumbre is touring with Matilda across the UK and Ireland, whilst Naomi Worrell is appearing in Cinderella at Lichfield Garrick.
Our Northern Ballet School (NBS) graduates have also been particularly active during pantomime season – Charlotte O’Sullivan and Alyssia Turpin joined the cast of Sleeping Beauty at the Theatre Royal in York, choreographed by NBS alumnus Hayley Del Harrison. Charlotte recently served as Dance Captain and Ensemble in the World Premiere of Reception: The Wedding Present Musical at Leeds Playhouse and has assisted Hayley on an upcoming Cbeebies project. Alyssia returns after a summer season in Cyprus. Meanwhile, Katy-Mae Dinnage secured a role as Ensemble Dancer in Sleeping Beauty at the Floral Pavilion in New Brighton, directed by NBS Principal Lecturer Andrew Margerison.
West End and Theatre Productions
Ellie Hague is performing in Shrek the Musical in Colchester, and Sophie Hamill has secured a role in The Polar Express. Two of our graduates – Adam Hilton and Harvey Dorling – are touring with Choir of Man, with Adam heading to the USA and Harvey joining the cast aboard Norwegian Cruise Line’s NCL Escape.
NBS Jazz Focus graduate Emi Ichikawa returned for her third year as part of the cast of The Snowman at The Peacock Theatre, Sadler’s Wells, this time in the role of Swing and Dance Captain. Emi has been keeping busy with credits including a music video for Clean Bandit, an appearance as a cheerleader on Big Game Night for Channel 5, and featuring as a dancer in the new season of A League of Their Own.
International Ballet Companies
Northern Ballet School graduates have secured impressive positions with leading international ballet companies. Maddie Pickersgill and Nova Morley King both joined the International Ballet Company, with Nova recently promoted to soloist. Jessica Gilmour is touring Spain with the International Ballet Company, performing in Swan Lake and The Nutcracker, whilst Eleanor Copping is touring France and Luxembourg with British Festival Ballet in the same productions.
Amaris Pearl Gillies recently completed a run at New York City Centre as part of the cast of Pete Townshend’s Quadrophenia – A Mod Ballet.
Cruise Ship Opportunities
Several graduates have embarked on cruise ship contracts this month. Lilly-Rose Lovell and Kyle Jermaine are both performing with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, with Kyle starring in Back to the Future. Hannah Cowan has joined Norwegian Cruise Lines, and Lilly Holland is working as a vocalist with Fred Olsen Cruise Lines. Niamh Grant has secured a contract with Costa Cruises.
Theme Parks and Screen
Harvey Morgan is performing at Warner Bros. World in Abu Dhabi. In television, Hanna Veerapen appeared in the Netflix series The Witcher. Chloe Wakeeling is working with Canterbury Travel in Lapland.
Northern Ballet School Staff and Faculty Success
A special mention goes to Ryan Upton, NBS graduate, faculty member, and guest choreographer, who is currently in rehearsals for Cinderella at His Majesty’s Theatre in Aberdeen for Crossroads Pantomimes. Having recently completed a run in Disney’s Tarzan in Stuttgart, Ryan has been delivering workshops at several vocational colleges and choreographing a new commission for Grad Pro in Birmingham.
To discover more about Performers College, including auditions and how to apply, contact us at [email protected] or you can Apply Now, or book an Open Day on our Events page.
