Having just celebrated her 10th birthday, local schoolgirl Ellie Mackey is now appearing in the star-studded cast of Aladdin at Guildford's Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, writes Christine van Emst.

Britt Ekland is Genie of the Lamp, Sylvester McCoy is Abanazar and Paul Hendee is Wishee Washee and all these actors are really nice and talk to the younger cast members says Ellie.

A pupil at Regina Coelie Primary School in Pampisford Road, South Croydon, Ellie has been performing in various professional shows from an early age.

She is a member of the Guildford School of Acting learning drama, musical tap, jazz dance and group singing. She auditioned in September to have a part in Aladdin.

As one of the Chinese dancers and singers she says she has a lot of fun on stage singing songs like Thoroughly Modern Twankey, Flash, Bang, Wallop! and It's a Hard Knock Life, the latter being familiar to her as she has appeared in Annie at the Yvonne Arnaud. This is her first pantomime.

"The audiences have been really brilliant," she says at her home in Forestdale.

Her next professional role could be in a major West End musical as she has been asked to audition for Mary Poppins.