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Pupils take centre stage to help raise funds for charities

Amy Checksfield, William Whitehead and Natalie Irwin
Amy Checksfield, William Whitehead and Natalie Irwin

Drama students will be treading the boards to raise money for two charities.

Kirsty Sawyer and 11 of her fellow BTEC performing arts pupils at the Isle of Sheppey Academy’s west site, are busy rehearsing.

Their show will take place on Wednesday, April 27, from 7.30pm.

It is called A Night in with Centre Stage, which is the name of the theatre company the group has started up as part of their studies.

The show will include improvised sketches, scripted performances, comedy routines and musical theatre which have all been written by the students.

Entry for the show is free but audience members will be encouraged to give donations at the door and it is only open to over-14s.

The money will be split between the British Acoustic Neuroma Association (BANA) and Alzheimer’s Research UK.

Kirsty, 17, said the reason they chose those the two charities is because they are close to the hearts of the members.

She said her granddad had an acoustic neuroma, which is a form of brain tumour, and although he has had it operated on and is doing okay, Kirsty wants to raise awareness of the condition.

She said: “The operation hit a facial nerve and his face dropped but he is one of those people who will just get on with it.

“But now it’s happening to younger and younger people. It’s hard, especially for girls.”

She wants to raise money for the charity to put towards research as they think there may be a link to mobile phone usage.

The Alzheimer’s charity has been chosen because the nan of one of the other performers has just been diagnosed with the disease.

Sheerness resident Kirsty added: “We are looking forward to it although we are really quite nervous. Hopefully it should be really good.”

  • Although the performance is free, anyone who would like to go is asked to get a ticket so the school knows how many to expect. Tickets are available from the Times Guardian office or the academy’s reception at Jefferson Road, Sheerness.
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