Italia Conti 2024 Scholarship Winner

This year, The Stage Scholarship at Italia Conti has been awarded to 18-year-old Alex Brettell.

This promising young performer from Birmingham is absolutely thrilled at the opportunity, which means that his tuition fees will be paid for the entire three years of his BA in Musical Theatre.

The total value of this scholarship, supported by Italia Conti, is in excess of £47,000.

“I’m incredibly grateful and I was also very shocked,” says Alex, who begins his training in September, which will mean a big move for him – but one he has been preparing for, for years.

“I always enjoyed watching musical theatre productions when I was younger, but it was probably around when I was eight and I watched my first amateur dramatic production that I really knew that this is what I wanted to do for a living.”

This year, the scholarship was open to applicants for any of the academy’s degree or diploma courses. The BA Musical Theatre degree course – validated by the University of East London – is a full-time triple-threat course, which is aimed at developing world-class performers who have a strong grounding in their craft. Through training in acting, singing and dance, students will be prepared to excel in a variety of careers in the field. 

Alex enjoyed a rewarding time in amateur theatre, even though none of his family were theatrically minded.

When he was 13 years old, he began to take extra singing lessons, and he also studied for a BTEC that specialised in musical theatre at the BOA Academy in Birmingham. This experience undoubtedly stood Alex in good stead for his auditions at Italia Conti.

“Originally, I had to send off a self-tape of me singing a song, then performing a monologue, which included some dancing as well,” he explained.

“And then I got asked to come down for an in-person audition at the Woking campus, which was where we did a ballet audition, a jazz audition, and then I had to do another monologue and sing a couple of songs.

“I first heard about The Stage Scholarship at that recall and it was lovely to be asked to audition for it.”

Alex undertook several auditions this year and was accepted at three schools, but he set his sights on attending Italia Conti because of its impressive international reputation.

“It’s really going to help benefit me in the future,” he added. 

“I just want to be performing, whether that’s on cruise ships, in the West End, touring, anything. I’m just excited to start doing it.”

Alex Brettell was speaking to Paul Vale. For more information click here