Summer plays celebrate end of year at Helen O'Grady Drama Academy Oldham & Rochdale

A summer play at The Helen O'Grady Drama Academy Oldham & Rochdale

Throughout July, 128 children across Rochdale performed summer plays to celebrate the end of the academic year with The Helen O'Grady Drama Academy Oldham & Rochdale.

But this year also marked a special occasion as The Helen O'Grady Drama Academy, as a worldwide organisation, celebrated the 40th anniversary of the first-ever class, which took place in Perth, Australia.

Since then, the developmental drama classes have gone from strength to strength, currently operating in 36 countries across the world. 

Principal Gemma Johnson said: “I was so proud of all of the children who performed, this included very young children aged just three and four from St Vincent's pre-school, through to our incredible youth theatre groups who took on the challenge of performing a very complex play.

“It has been my absolute pleasure to work with all of the children.”

The academy also launched a special 'principal award' to recognise exceptional children who had overcome barriers, or been amazing role models, during the course of the academic year. 

The principal award winners this year were: Harry Thompson (Castleton), Ava Winn (Shawclough), Lilly Hesketh (Norden) and Tilly Robertson (Littleborough).