TWO shining new stars from St Helens were in the spotlight when it came to casting the main roles in a North West production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom Of The Opera.

Phoenix Youth Theatre, a drama school committed to discovering and developing theatrical talent of the young people of Merseyside, will perform the iconic musical at the St Helens Theatre Royal in October.

The 40-strong cast of 16-21 year olds will be headed by young talent close to home.

And 17-year old Natasha Agarwal, a talented dancer from Eccleston Hill, St Helens, is to play the role of Christine, the Phantom’s singing student.

Natasha recently received the prestigious Young Dancer of The Year 2013 award at the All-England Dance competition and is vocally trained by the retired Vocal Head of the Royal Northern College of Music, Caroline Crawshaw.

Meanwhile, the Phantom himself will be played by 20 year old Andy Lee. Andy is a graduate of Cowley International College and recently took part in a production of Les Miserables where he played the role of Jean Valjean.

Phoenix Youth Theatre’s Sean Chambers said, “We are delighted to have cast two locals in these main parts as it makes this performance even more special. This show will feature some of the cream of what music theatre has to offer.”

Featuring a live orchestra playing the original West End orchestrations, Phantom of The Opera will run from Wednesday October 30 to Saturday November 2. Tickets cost £14 - £16.

For more information on tickets and booking, contact the Theatre Royal Box Office on 01744 756000.