Lamont Drama School Comes Home!

One of the most prestigious drama schools in the North-west is moving back to Formby full-time.

Lamont Drama School, which first started out in Formby more than 30 year ago, is making its new permanent home in the Gild Hall in Church Rd, Formby.

The drama school has always offered lessons in the Harington Centre on Saturdays and Mondays but this term its exam and competition lessons will move from its studio in Hightown to the Gild Hall.

Said Diane Lamont: “I started the drama school when my children were toddlers from our home in Park Way, Formby. However, it soon became apparent that I would need more room for the increasing numbers and that’s when I moved to the Harlington Centre, or the Pram Club as it was known then. We are still going from strength to strength and I now have more pupils than ever before studying for their LAMDA exams and entering drama festivals around the North-west. The excellent facilities at the Gild Hall will give us more space and is nearer for many of the pupils. It’s an exciting new phase in the life of Lamont Drama School and I can’t wait to get started. It is such a privilege to be able to nurture the considerable talent of the Formby youngsters”.

Recent successes of the drama school include a fantastic set of results in the school’s recent LAMDA examination session. The school achieved 36 distinctions with Formby residents Charlotte Russell (15), Amelia Rosin (15) , Grace Farnell (14) and Ellie Edwards(12) being awarded over 97 marks for their exams. Also celebrating is another Formby pupil Josh Reais (15) who has been selected by Wirral Drama Festival as its entry in the North-West Regional Championship being held this month. The Championship is held every two years and accepts a single entry representing their best performer from all drama festivals across the North-west.

Said Diane Lamont; “Being selected once is quite an honour but Josh was actually nominated by Southport Festival 2 years ago so this will be his second appearance at the North-west Championship. That’s quite a feat to pull it off twice!”

In the national arena, Lamont Drama School has built up an enviable reputation for getting youngsters into the National Youth Theatre. 14-year-old Joe Conroy from Formby, 15-year-old Millie McLoughlin and 15-year-old Hannah Aspinall were all successful this year and have recently returned from attending the NYT’s annual two-week residential course in London. In recent years, Lamont has had more than 40 pupils accepted by the NYT. They are all following in the footsteps of other previous NYT members like Helen Mirren, Daniel Craig, Matt Smith and Kate Winslet.

Running alongside the drama school is the successful Lamont Casting Agency. Drama school and casting agency members Georgia Taft (15) and Grace Wingate (15), both from Formby and Isobel Tinsley (12) from Birkdale, have just been chosen to voice the latest Radio 4 production of My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante's (Book 4). The pair will be recording the piece at Pier Productions in Brighton this month. Grace will be returning to the production playing the part of young Dede and Georgia, an NYT member, will play the part of the young Elsa.

Said Grace “I’m so excited about being chosen again to be part of this exciting Radio 4 project. I had so much fun last time that I can’t wait to travel to Brighton with Georgia.”

For more information about joining the school, please contact Diane on 07736387543