2:10pm Wednesday 1st October 2008
There are some ghostly goings at the Polka, but that is not enough to frighten off young actor Patricia Thompson who is currently enjoying her big break in the theatre world.
The teenager is starring in Ghosts in the Gallery, a collaboration between Polka and the National Portrait Gallery, and although Ghosts is her professional stage debut, it is not a challenge that perturbs her.
Eighteen-yea- old Patricia, a Mitcham resident and a student at St Francis Xavier College in Balham, said: “I was worried about learning my lines, but once I knew them getting them in the right order was the only issue.”
Patricia has been helped by a supportive cast of experienced actors who have made her transition from keen amateur to professional actor an easy one.
“They treat my like I’m one of them which is a good thing,” she said. “I’m learning from the little things that they do. I’m really passionate about theatre and want to pursue it, I can’t ever see myself working in an office.”
And how is she being treated at college now that she is forging a career in the spotlight?
She replied: “My friends are very excited and when they saw the poster of me in the theatre window they were like ‘Oh my gosh, that’s you!’.”
Patricia first became interested in theatre as a 13 -year-old when she spent her summer working with Cardboard Citizens Theatre Company.
She has since taken small roles in a number of Polka shows and works as an usher at the theatre - experience she believes will stand her in good stead for performing in front of an audience full of children.
“I’m aware what takes place,” she said. “I’m looking forward to performing in front of younger kids as I’m not that much older than them.”
In Ghosts in the Gallery, Patricia’s character B attempts to escape the National Portrait Gallery on Halloween night, as the images of famous people, including Henry VIII, Queen Victoria and Ian Botham come to life.
She believes this is a ghost story that will educate as well as entertain.
“There’s a lot about the historical context and there are characters I didn’t know but it is not like a boring history lesson. It’s scary for B but there are some comic moments. I don’t get to tell any jokes though - the ghosts tie me to a chair!”
• Ghosts in the Gallery, Polka Theatre, 240 The Broadway, Wimbledon, London SW19 1SB, until November 1, ages eight to 13, phone 020 8543 4888 or visit polkatheatre.com for ticket prices and show times.
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