Tring dance student to star on the West End

Harry Sills, 14, will be performing at the Royal Opera House in Benjamin Britten's Death in Venice from 21 November to 6 December.

Harry is studying dance at Tring Park School which he joined in September, but it was back in his home country of New Zealand that he discovered his love for dance.

The prestigious Tring Park School for the Performing Arts, which boasts a glittering alumni that includes Lily James (Mamma Mia Here We Go Again, Disney's Cinderella, Downton Abbey and War and Peace) and Daisy Ridley (Star Wars: The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi).

Harry is no stranger to the big stage having played the role of Billy Elliot in the New Zealand production in 2016. He has also performed with the Royal New Zealand ballet in Coppelia, A Christmas Carol and Nutcracker.

Talking about performing in Death in Venice, Harry said: "The opportunity to dance at Covent Garden is incredible. It's the Billy Elliot story coming true."

David McVicar is the brains behind this major new production of Britten's Death in Venice operas and is part of the Royal Opera's ongoing Britten cycle, and features a strong contingent of British artists, headed by Mark Padmore as the troubled Aschenbach, with Gerald Finley in the multiple roles that persistently foreshadow mortality.

Tring Park School is both a day and boarding school for students aged 8 to 19. Alongside a broad academic curriculum, the school offers courses in dance, acting and musical theatre to learners up to the age of 16. Sixth Form students are able to study Acting, Musical Theatre and Commercial Music up to age 18 while dancers can take a three-year course, graduating at age 19.