A young Norfolk actor is making her panto lead debut at the seaside theatre where she first trod the boards as a child.
Megan Brice will be Dorothy in Sheringham Little Theatre’s Wizard of Oz show. And it will be doubly exciting for the 28-year-old from Wroxham to land her first professional role alongside close friends she grew up performing with at a venue that means so much to her.
She is a core member of Orange Elephant Theatre Company which was founded by Megan’s mother Gretel Brice, a vibrant creative from Happisburgh who directed and choreographed at the Little Theatre.
After Gretel’s passing in 2020, she wanted to leave a legacy of a new theatre company which uses the creative arts to promote health and wellbeing, as well as build communities and offer work to creative professionals.
The company also involves Megan’s sister Matilda Bailes, company director Michelle Thompson, who used to run the Little Theatre’s youth groups, and Sheringham panto regular Charlie Randall who will play the scarecrow.
“Mum would be so excited me to get this role, especially as it is at Sheringham and with wonderful cast members I grew up with,” said Megan.
Her first ever role at the theatre was a 12-year-old among the children’s chorus in Aladdin, where she first met Olly Westlake who will play the Tin Man. Later she was involved in multiple youth productions including taking on her dream role of Jo March in a production of Little Women.
“I’m really looking forward to playing Dorothy. I love a fun female lead who knows her own mind! Dorothy is a daydreamer with a good heart who cares deeply for her friends, and I see a lot of myself in her,” she added.
“I watched the Wizard of Oz on repeat when I was a kid and cannot wait to do the show,” said Megan who gained a degree in drama and theatre arts at St Mary’s University Twickenham, Megan trained at the London School of Musical Theatre. Multi-talented Megan also writes her own poetry which she shares online under the Instagram handle shewroteinbluebiro.
Theatre director Debbie Thompson said Megan was the stand out performer at an audition for 15 hopefuls we held in London. “She came to see last year’s Panto and said she’d love to be in it, so we asked her audition, and she smashed it.
“She sang Here I Go Again by Whitesnake and acted out a conversation with Toto the dog and the audience and engaged our panel in the eye, which is vital in our intimate auditorium.”
The theatre last did the Wizard of Oz in 2017 when Hana Stewart played Dorothy and has now gone on to play Henry VIII’s wife Jayne Seymour in the West End music production of Six.
The Wizard of Oz runs from December 13 to January 4. Tickets are already on sale through www.sheringhamlittletheatre.com or 01263 822347.
