The talent team behind Peaky Blinders, Sex Education and Frozen the Musical are looking for up-and-coming young performers to join their team.
Leeds' young performers can audition for one of the UK's most exciting entertainment training programme.
On Saturday 9 April, Stagebox, a leading theatre, TV and film training and talent management programme will be auditioning children between the ages of eight and eighteen.
The free auditions will take place at Leeds Northern Ballet and where the Stagebox team will be offering successful members the chance to benefit from world class training and opportunities in a contemporary supercharged industry accelerator for musical theatre, television and film.
Image: Stagebox
Many young performers training at Stagebox have already landed dream roles on stage and screen, thanks to the expert training and management.
Talent alumni from the company have continued their careers and secured major lead talent screen roles in Oscar nominated and Emmy award winning productions, including Peaky Blinders (Netflix), Sex Education (Netflix), Robin Robin (Netflix), Ted Lasso (Apple TV+), Avenue 5 (HBO), The Power (Amazon Studios), Pistol (Disney +), BAFTA anthology Superdad (Channel 4), Gentleman Jack (Netflix/HBO), Lagging (BBC) and many more.
Clients also continue to star in West End and UK Tour musicals including Frozen, Matilda the Musical, School of Rock, Annie, The Grinch, Mary Poppins, Tina the Musical and more.
Image: Stagebox
Amongst those that have found fame with Stagebox is Orla McDonagh, who played Ruby Shelby in the BBC's smash-hit TV programme, Peaky Blinders. Stagebox said: "Orla has been on set for Series 6 for this iconic television series all summer and we cannot wait to see her bring this incredible character to life. We are so proud of you Orla on yet another screen smash for you."
Amira Macey Michael is another Stagebox alumni that landed a life-changing role with the company. Amira recently starred in Netflix lead-billing role in Robin Robin alongside Golden Globe Winner Gillian Anderson, Oscar nominee Richard E Grant and Bronte Carmichael. Stagebox said "Amira has had a whirlwind of a year and has just finished filming a series regular lead for BBC."
Amira Macey Michael. / Image: Stagebox
To further the opportunities for young rising stars, Stagebox Management has also brokered agency partnerships stateside, working alongside Innovative Artists, Paradigm Talent, Luber Roklin Entertainment, Gravity Hill, KMR, Maverick and more.
Simply put, if your child is dreaming of a career in the performing arts industry, this is a rare opportunity that's well worth taking advantage of.
Image: Stagebox
Commenting on the upcoming 2022 auditions, General Manager, Jasmine Quinlan Gardner, said: “We are so excited to begin our nationwide search for the stars of today and tomorrow. We are proud of our inclusive, diverse and extraordinarily talented community and we can’t wait to meet those who will join us on the journey.”
Head Agent, Kirsti Bagger, adds: “The training is second to none, preparing our young stars for careers on the stage and screen. 2021 was one of our most successful years ever with Stagebox Management clients wrapping on global award-winning feature films and television series and critically acclaimed theatre productions.
"We’re committed to making auditions for Stagebox free as part of our ongoing dedication to inclusivity in the arts. We only open for auditions once a year, and we’re excited to see our 2022 auditionees' incredible new talent!”
The Wombats aren’t just still going strong - they’re getting better. And honestly? Long may they reign.
The Wombats absolutely tore the roof off the First Direct Arena in Leeds last night, Wednesday 26 March and what a night it was.
From the second they hit the stage it wasn’t just a gig, it was a full-blown indie-pop spectacle, packed with infectious energy, nostalgia, and a whole lot of dancing.
They kicked things off with “Moving to New York,” and honestly? The crowd was in from the first note.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Matthew Murphy’s unmistakable vocals rang through the arena and suddenly, thousands of people were screaming every lyric like it was 2007 all over again. It was one of those moments where you could just feel how much this band still means to people.
Despite the massive venue, The Wombats somehow made it feel intimate. The lights? Pure chaos in the best way - vibrant, colourful, and totally in sync with the band’s wild, bouncy sound.
Murphy’s cheeky banter between songs made it feel less like a polished arena show and more like a jam session with a few thousand of your closest mates.
Setlist-wise, they nailed it. “Let’s Dance to Joy Division” and “Greek Tragedy” had the whole place losing it, while the stripped-down version of “Techno Fan” gave everyone a minute to breathe (and maybe get a little emotional).
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Those quieter moments just made the high-energy choruses hit even harder. It was a rollercoaster - in the best way possible.
Then came the encore. If you thought the crowd was loud before, “Kill the Director” took things to another level. Pure, chaotic indie bliss. The kind of moment you don’t want to end.
Here’s the thing about The Wombats: some might say their older songs hit harder than their newer stuff, but is that just nostalgia talking? Or maybe it’s a generational thing?
Either way, they proved they’re still one of the most exciting live bands out there. They’ve still got the hooks, the humour, and the ability to turn a massive arena into a sweaty, euphoric singalong.
Get Baked’s viral ‘Bertha’ cake has a sister on the way – and she sounds just as cheeky
Danny Jones
She's big, she's green and she's ready to ruin your figure.
A lot of you will have seen the viral ‘Bertha’ cake by Leeds born beloved sweet treat specialists Get Baked.
They recently opened another site in Manchester's Northern Quarter, where queues literally formed round the block of hungry punters wanting to get their hands on the infamous sugary treats.
And now it's going to happen all over again, as they've recently unveiled their newest flavour which is sure to go down a storm.
We’ll give you a hint: it’s a current food and drink trend that’s about as big as Bertha herself – it’s not matcha, it’s not hot honey (duh), and it’s not Guinness…
Images: Get Baked
Yes—scratch that; HELL YES!Get Baked is set to welcome Bertha’s equally beautiful twin sister, and she’s officially a pistachio girlie.
Having started out life simply as ‘Bruce’, after taking inspiration from the iconic scene from Matilda, this thing has become a phenomenon in its own right, and who doesn’t like more flavours of a good thing?
Probably one of the biggest foodie crazes going at the minute, thanks to the popularity of pistachio cream, cookies, lattes and the similar social media sensation that is the ‘Dubai Pistachio Bar' people are rather fittingly going nuts for this particular flavour of almost absolutely anything.
With that in mind, the Leeds-born bakery and dessert shop – founded by Rich Myers over in Headingley back in 2011 – have shown no hesitation in hopping on the bandwagon and creating a new twist on their own viral menu item.
Teasing the full details in a post on their Instagram this week, they wrote: “What’s big, green, and is going to destroy your life in a couple of weeks’ time? Pistachio Bertha. Strictly limited to 5,000 slices. Coming oh so soon. GB.”
In case you were wondering just how mad those with a sweet tooth could possibly go for a slice of cake, just look at the recent queues when they finally launched in Manchester city centre:
Speaking on the grand opening here on our turf and his partner Amy’s hometown, Myers said simply: “Manchester, what a launch. Thanks for much for the warm welcome. Stay baked.”
Sophie Smith -
15th March 2022 
