BBC Apprentice contestant chooses Cheshire for latest theatre venture

Gary Porter

23 November 2024 at 0:14 am·2-min read

-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)

BBC Apprentice contestant Reece Donnelly has opened his third theatre school - and the first outside of Scotland - right here in Cheshire. The new venture has launched at the King’s School in Macclesfield with the aim of bringing unparalleled performing arts training to the people South of the border.

Back in 2017, Reece founded the highly successful Theatre School of Scotland and then in 2022 opened the Theatre College of Scotland. Since the launch of both, Reece’s students have achieved unbelievable success appearing in everything from BBC soaps to local pantomimes.

The school has also embarked on two tours of America, firstly to New York in 2022 and then to California this year to perform at the Dodgers stadium. Speaking on the opening day, Reece said: "We’re absolutely thrilled to have expanded into Cheshire and officially launched the Theatre School of England!

"This marks such an exciting milestone for us as a team. After years of success in Scotland, seeing students thrive and go on to star in productions with BBC, Netflix, Disney, and more, it’s a privilege to now bring our passion for nurturing young talent to England. Expanding to Cheshire allows us to connect with a whole new community of aspiring performers, and we couldn’t be more excited to share our expertise, energy, and love for the arts.

"The launch event was incredible, and we’re so grateful to everyone who came along to support this next step in our journey. Our timetable is now live on theatreschoolofengland.co.uk, and we can’t wait to welcome our first wave of students. The future is bright, and we’re so proud to be growing as a team and building something truly special here in Cheshire!"

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