AN OSWESTRY youngster who has landed the lead role of Oliver in a Theatre Severn production is living his dream, according to his mum.

Woodside Primary School pupil Elliott Parry, 11 will share the lead role in the Shrewsbury’s based theatre’s upcoming production from Friday, May 31 to Sunday, June 2.

Mum Gina Obertelli says she and the rest of his family are beyond delighted that he has been given the role, and says the desire to perform has been in his blood from the start.

OTHER NEWS:

She said: “I’m exceptionally proud of him and it’s a fantastic achievement.

“It’s great to see him do something loves and he’s already received so much support with people saying well done and buying tickets.”

She added: “He stared doing drama when he was seven

“Drama Forge in Oswestry, was the only group who that would take him on as a lot of other drama clubs said he was too small.

“When he was little, he would watch a lot of television with us and he actually said to us ‘you get me the opportunity and I will do the rest’.

“This was when he was five or six – that’s how it started for him so I ask around a lot of drama clubs but they all said the same – he was too small.

“But Drama Forge didn’t and he did his first show in February 2020, right before we went into lockdown.”

It was performing in his one of his earliest roles that made Gina sit up and think that a life in the arts could be for her son.

She said: “He played Michael in Peter Pan and he was a natural – he just came to life on the stage and we did think maybe he has real talent.

“His dad and I just thought it was something he wanted to do but he spokes his lines like a natural.

Get in touch

Share your views on this story by sending a letter to the editor. To get in touch email news@bordercountiesadvertizer.co.uk, or fill in the form on this section of our website.

“When he came to do stuff with Get Your Wigle On (GYWO), he saw the panto and he was inspired by Brad Fitt so it became his dream to be on the stage at Theatre Severn.

“He’s done lots of shows there now with GYWO, including Shrek and Les Misérables, and now he auditioned for Oliver with another young performer and they both got it.

“There’s fours shows that they’re sharing.”