Members of the Orca Trust visited Alderney this week. Chairman Caron Parker, kneeling, right, and Dennis Burns, standing, centre, were invited by the Alderney Theatre Group. (0722189)

BUDDING young thespians in Alderney have received a boost from a Guernsey-based theatre company.

Representatives from Orca Trust, which was set up 12 months ago, visited the island earlier this week to prepare for two performances which will take place in the Island Hall later this month.

Orca chairman Caron Parker and vice-chairman Dennis Burns also spent time with St Anne’s School head teacher Mike Gaunt, with a view to encouraging pupils to take part in next year’s One Act Play Festival in Guernsey.

Alderney Theatre Group chairman Ilona Soane-Sands invited Orca’s representatives to the island. The company was set up to help youngsters succeed in the performing arts industry.

Caron said: ‘The Bailiwick has some amazingly talented youngsters, some of whom are denied the chance of even making the first step of attending a local stage school due to lack of funds. Others who may have already dedicated years to their art fall at the final hurdle because of the prohibitive cost of travel to the UK for auditions.

‘We set up Orca Trust to help prevent this from happening. Our aim is to give young people the chance to express themselves and perhaps offer them opportunities that may have been denied to them otherwise.’

Dennis said youngsters aiming to make it in the world of drama are often stretched financially.

‘Many companies charge audition fees of up to £75 so it’s very difficult for young people to make it in acting, especially if they are faced with travel and accommodation costs like people in the Channel Islands are.

‘Our aim is to come up with a pool of talent and hopefully bring some casting directors over from London to view our workshops and assess the talent.

‘We know that finding a Billy Elliot-type character is unlikely, but this is about giving young people the opportunity to take part in drama while at the same time helping them to improve their social skills and show off their talents.

‘We’d like to reach those youngsters whose parents can’t afford to send them to stage school.’

Caron added: ‘Opportunity is the key word. We’re not necessarily going to make stars. It’s about giving people opportunities that they may have been denied in the past.

‘There are lots and lots of youngsters who don’t have support from family and they have never been in a theatre or seen a play before – we have seen them at our workshops. They are shy and stand in a corner at first, but eight weeks later they’re on stage.

‘These are the kind of kids who need performing arts.’

Caron explained how Orca was planning to help Alderney’s up-and-coming actors.

‘We’re bringing over two plays, the proceeds from which will be used to support young actors in Alderney.

The money raised will fund a group’s flights to Guernsey so they can perform in the One Act Play Festival next May.

‘We’ve had a very positive response so far and we’re optimistic that several people will want to be involved.

‘After speaking with St Anne’s School, we think we’ll be looking at bringing over a cast of up to four people to perform a 30-minute play.’

• Orca’s Alderney productions will take place on 29 and 30 May.  Two short plays, Laughter in the Shadow of the Trees and The Extraordinary Revelations of Orca the Goldfish, will be showcased on both nights from 7.30pm. Tickets, which cost £6-8, are available from London House.