A sixteen-year-old from Radstock has a lot to celebrate, after securing a place at a full-time drama school in London. Robbie Whittock, who is currently attending Norton Hill School, will be taking up a place at PQA Studios London in September, after wowing judges at his audition earlier this year.

Actor Pauline Quirke, who is best known for her role as Sharon in the hit BBC sitcom Birds of a Feather, is the brains behind PQA Studios London, a new full-time drama school.

The new Academy is for young performers, aged sixteen-and-over, and will offer Diploma level and Foundation training in Performing Arts. The academy is based in the original Poor School building in Pentonville Road, King’s Cross, which closed last year after three decades, just a stone’s throw from where Pauline herself went to school, and discovered acting, at the age of nine.

Pauline’s team have completely renovated the building, which now has a fully equipped in-house theatre and several large, high spec studio spaces, and it reopens as PQA Studios London in September 2018.

Robbie, who auditioned in front of a panel of industry judges to secure his place, will be studying on the two-year Diploma in Performing Arts course, at the end of which, he will be awarded an OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma in Performing Arts (a Level 3 qualification); the equivalent to three A Levels, for entry into professional vocational diplomas/HE institutions.

Many of the teachers at the PQA Studios London have all performed in hugely successful West End shows, so Robbie will be learning from teaching professionals, who also have the experience of what it is like to be a performer at the top of their game.

Robbie previously attended the Pauline Quirke Academy weekend stage school in Bath for four years. Pauline launched her first weekend, non-selective performing arts school ten years ago with her husband Steve, and there are now 170 of these weekend stage schools across the UK.

Robbie said: “I cannot wait to start learning and performing with PQA; I’m excited and scared to move to London away from home, but hopefully it will be worth it and I’m sure I’ll have a great two years.”