A YOUNG actress had the chance to perform alongside a Broadway and West End star.
Amber Hooper, of Whitehaven, performed alongside internationally renowned star Kerry Ellis in a show at the Carnegie Theatre in Workington.
She applied to perform alongside the Broadway star and was successful and was given the life-changing opportunity to progress her acting career with the performance.
Ellis is an actress and singer who is best known for her work in musical theatre and her crossover into music.
She has played several iconic roles including Nancy in Oliver! at Drury Lane, Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, Ellen in Miss Saigon, and Fantine in Les Miserables.
Amber said: "It was a surreal, incredible, and overwhelming experience to perform with such a big West End Star.
"I think getting an opportunity like this could be the start of something big. It is one of the biggest things to have happened in my career so far.
"I'm currently studying a Performing Arts Diploma at Carlisle College and it's going well.
"I've performed in a few shows recently and soon we'll be hosting a production of 9 to 5 the Musical.
"Last week I performed at a music festival, and I also got the chance to go to Paris with Sing Stars from Whitehaven to perform a show at Disneyland."
Beth Clark, the owner of Sing Stars and AB Stage School where Amer learned her trade, said: "It was incredible, that she got chosen out of 500 applicants to perform alongside Kerry Ellis.
"It was a sold-out show and there were a lot of people linked to the industry in attendance.
"Amber got the chance to have a sound check with Kerry's very own professional West End sound technician, which was a good experience.
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"Amber's performance was amazing, she was professional, and her vocals were great.
"At the end when everyone was cheering and clapping Amber started crying because she was so overwhelmed, and Kerry went over to give her a hug which was a lovely on-stage experience.
"Kerry said that she'd been given these opportunities herself when she was younger and that was what encouraged her to progress in the industry."
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