As Ever, NYMT Graduates are ruling the stages, screens and recoding studios. Here are a few updates.

Congratulations to CONNIE FISHER for winning her first major award – The Critics’ Circle Award for Best Newcomer.

Following its magnificent run at The Meunier Chocolate Factory in THE LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS starring JASPER BRITTON (NYMT 1976-77) and SHERIDAN SMITH (1995-2000), the excellent news is that the show is due to transfer to the West End in March . SHERIDAN is also starring currently on BBC 7 in DOCTOR WHO.

News from the National Theatre where TOM HOLLANDER (1981-83), fresh from his triumphs in PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN, is playing the lead in a new Joe Penhall play LANDSCAPE due to open next month. Tom was at school with TOBY JONES (1981-82) whose extraordinary performance as Truman Capote in the recent film INFAMOUS has just won him a BAFTA nomination for best actor while MARY STOCKLEY (1988-90) has the questionable credit of playing RUTH ELLIS in the new fim about Henry Pierrepoint!

Graduates of THE DREAMING are doing well since ED SANDERS (Woodlander, 2006) is currently filming the leading role of TOBIAS opposite Johnny Depp in the new Tim Burton film of SWEENEY TODD at Pinewood Studios where JAMIE BOWER (Woodlander, 2002) is playing another lead ANTHONY HOPE.

EMMA CUNNIFFE (1988-90) is soon to play opposite Robert Lindsay in Kevin Spacey’s new production of THE ENTERTAINER at The Old Vic where DOMINIC TIGHE (1994 – 2002) is currently playing in TWELFTH NIGHT and THE TAMING OF THE SHREW with Edward Hall’s Propeller Company, while over the river at the wyndhams Theatre, BEN BARNES (1997-2001) is playing the lead and winning rave reviews in THE HISTORY BOYS.

Singing Richard Taylor’s magnificent setting of Psalm 113 in Warchild in 1997 was one of the finest boy treble voices the NYMT ever found. It belonged to a boy called MICA PENNIMAN, now known as MIKA whose most recent CD is causing a sensation in the world of popular music with his single GRACE KELLY and his album, LIFE IN CARTOON MOTION.