A talented actress from Stirling hopes her starring role in a performance of Spring Awakening at Edinburgh’s King’s Theatre will set her on the path to a glittering career in London’s West End.

Rebecca Murphy, a former pupil of Stirling High School, impressed hundreds of people with her performance in The MGA Academy of Performing Arts’ production of the Tony-Award-winning Broadway show.

The 18-year-old, who is currently studying acting at the Edinburgh-based performing arts academy, said: “Having grown up around theatre, I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in the industry from a very young age - I was only five-years-old when I performed onstage for the first time.” Rebecca, who honed her skills at an early age by performing at the Macrobert Arts Centre in Stirling, added: “I applied for The MGA Academy as I wanted to study in Scotland but still have access to the same opportunities that students in London get. Performing in Spring Awakening has been an incredible experience as the audience gave us a great reaction and were really moved by the show.” Spring Awakening, which opened on Broadway in 2006, is a risque rock musical set in Germany and explores themes of youthful revolt, sexuality and morality. The MGA Academy’s production of the musical, which was directed by Andrew Gowland, aimed to introduce the future stars of the stage to Scottish audiences.

Marcella Macdonald, principal of The MGA Academy, said: “We are very proud of Rebecca and her outstanding contribution to our production of Spring Awakening. The whole cast were a credit to themselves and the wealth of learning they have undertaken at The MGA Academy.

“We give students extra tools to add to their CV that will allow them to succeed in a range of disciplines when they graduate, and, in this show, they all strongly reflected their growth and improvement as performers.” The MGA Academy was founded 10 years ago by Murray Grant and Andrew Gowland, providing a platform for Scottish talent in performing arts to remain in Scotland to obtain accredited SQA training at an equivalent level offered by established London colleges. West End star Fergal McGoff (Mamma Mia, The Bodyguard) and Rebecca Stenhouse, who is currently portraying female lead Elle Woods in Legally Blonde in America, represent just a couple of success stories from The MGA Academy.

Rebecca said: “When I finish my studies, I’d love to perform in London’s West End or work in film and television. I’ve always loved classic musicals and people like Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynold are the reason I developed an interest in performing.”