MEMBERS of St Helens Theatre Royal’s youth group are celebrating in style after winning two awards and receiving nine nominations for its smash-hit production of Grease.

Representatives from the Royal Theatre Drama Academy (RTDA) attended a glittering gala dinner at the Southport Theatre Floral Hall on Saturday February 18, where the nominations were announced for the prestigious District 6 NODA Awards.

NODA, (the National Operatic and Dramatic Association) represents amateur theatre companies and has thousands of members throughout the UK, so the RTDA were over the moon to receive so many nominations for its production of Grease which was staged last summer.

As well as the group receiving an award for Best Ensemble Cast/Chorus, actress Alicia Stroud, who played Frenchy in Grease, won the Most Entertaining/Comedy Female Actor Youth Award and is delighted after receiving one of the highest scores for her performance, placing her in the top five per cent.

She will now go through to the North West NODA Awards which will be held in Manchester in April.

Other nominations include:

Charley Webster who played Rizzo was nominated for Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role Both Musical Youth

Mark Porter who played Danny was nominated for Best Male Actor in a Lead Role Both Musical and Play

Lucy Moran who played Sandy was nominated for Best Female Actor in a Lead Role Musical.

Laura Gregory for Best Choreographer in Youth Production

Tom Loughlin for Best Musical Director in a Youth Production

Si Foster, Benjamin Engelen and Harry Moore for Best Artistic Director in a Youth Production

Grease for Best Youth Production.

Chantelle Nolan, manager at St Helens Theatre Royal, said: “We were so proud of our youth theatre group RTDA to win two NODA awards.

“We have been running our drama workshops on a Saturday morning for the last 18 years but this is the first time we have entered the NODA Awards and we are thrilled to have received so many nominations.

“Well done to Alicia, we wish her all the luck for the North West finals in April.

“I feel extremely proud of everyone who's has been involved in the RTDA past and present. We have built up a marvellous youth theatre with many members having been with us from babes to adults and are very excited about the future of RTDA!”

Formed in 1998, the RTDA is a group of talented youngsters from St Helens who meet once a week to create amazing pieces of theatre which are staged at St Helens Theatre Royal.

Past works include sell-out spectaculars Oliver! and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat.