Poetry recital wins bursary

An 11-year-old girl has won this year’s Wolfit Endowment Bursary that will enable her to attend a four-day summer school at a renowned drama college.

Josie Read, of Main Street, Long Bennington, was awarded the bursary after performing two poems and a duologue with her brother, Nathan, 15, at the Wolfit Festival of Drama and Verse Speaking.

It is held in memory of actor Sir Donald Wolfit, who was from Balderton.

Josie said she had to wait for some time before hearing that she had won and received the news in a letter.

She will attend the summer school at Haileybury College, Hertfordshire, where she will receive tuition in musical theatre.

She said: “It was very exciting and I’m really looking forward to it.”

Josie, a pupil at Long Bennington Primary School, is a member of the New Youth Theatre at Grantham and also studies drama with Mrs Sheila Mumby, of Farndon.

She said she had been interested in the theatre and acting for about five years and would eventually like to pursue an acting career, following in the steps of her favourite actress Meryl Streep.

l ABOVE: Josie Read, 11, with her Wolfit Endowment Bursary trophy.