Dream role for Carnaross performer in West Side Story

When Lauren Carroll was just nine years old, she sat watching West Side Story on television and dreamed of one day performing in the iconic musical herself.

This summer, that childhood dream will become a reality.

The 22-year-old Carnaross singer and actress has been cast as Anita in West Side Story in Concert with the National Symphony Orchestra Ireland at Dublin's National Concert Hall, performing alongside some of Ireland's most promising young musical theatre stars under an award-winning West End creative team.

For Lauren, who has been singing since childhood, it marks the biggest role of her career to date.

“I've loved West Side Story since I was about nine years old,” she told the Meath Chronicle.

“I remember watching the film on television and thinking I'd love to be part of it someday.”

When auditions were announced earlier this year, she knew she had to take her chance.

“I had done Sweeney Todd with the National Symphony Orchestra last year, so when they announced nationwide auditions for West Side Story, I just thought, 'I have to go for this.'”

The audition process was far from straightforward.

Lauren first submitted a video audition before being invited to perform in person at the Royal Irish Academy of Music.

“I sang 'America' first and then afterwards they called me back to do a chemistry read with the actor playing Bernardo,” she explained.

“Then I did scenes with the girl playing Maria before singing 'A Boy Like That'.”

After leaving the audition, Lauren thought the waiting game had begun.

Instead, within an hour she was called back for another round.

A short time later, having just completed her final day on teaching placement as part of her Bachelor of Education degree at Dublin City University, the email she had been hoping for finally arrived.

“I was just over the moon,” she said.

“It was such an amazing feeling.”

The production will bring together 37 young performers from across Ireland, accompanied by the National Symphony Orchestra Ireland under conductor Anthony Gabriele and directed by Irish West End director Séimí Campbell, with choreography by Olivier Award winner James Cousins and lighting by Tony Award winner Jack Knowles.

“It's incredible to be working with people of that calibre,” Lauren said.

“It'll be an amazing experience to learn from them.”

Rehearsals begin in early July before two performances at the National Concert Hall on 23rd and 24th July.

For Lauren, musical theatre represents the perfect combination of everything she loves.

“It's not just singing or acting or dancing – it's all three together,” she explained.

“In musical theatre, they always say that when the emotions become too powerful for words, that's when you break into song. I just think that's such an amazing way of telling stories, and to perform West Side Story with a full symphony orchestra will make it even more special.”

Lauren's love of performing stretches back almost as far as she can remember.

“I always loved singing,” she said.

“I remember being in primary school singing one day when one of the older children stopped to listen and then ran to get the choir teacher because they thought I should join.”

From there, she joined a drama school, began entering competitions and never looked back.

Her talent was recognised at just nine years of age when she was signed by the Young Artists Management Agency after winning gold at the All-Ireland Community Games solo singing competition.

One of Lauren's earliest experiences on a major stage came when she appeared on Britain's Got Talent in 2014.

Although viewers only saw contestants walking onto the stage in front of the celebrity judges, Lauren said the process behind the scenes was much more demanding than many people realise.

“There were four auditions before I even got to perform in front of the judges,” she recalled.

Eventually she found herself singing before Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and David Walliams, earning four yeses from the panel.

“It was really amazing,” she said. “I remember being so excited.”

While her journey ended after the judges' auditions during the next stage of the selection process, Lauren says the experience proved to be an invaluable stepping stone.

“It really was the start of everything,” she said. “It gave me confidence and opened up so many opportunities.”

Since then, Lauren has gone on to perform on The Late Late Toy Show, The Republic of Telly and Ryan Tubridy's final Late Late Show, where she shared the stage with artists including Cian Ducrot, Jedward and Moya Brennan.

She has also completed Grade 8 examinations in both Classical Singing and Musical Theatre through the Royal Irish Academy of Music, earned a distinction diploma in Musical Theatre with the London College of Music and received a number of prestigious awards, including Walton's New School of Music Student of the Year and the Creative Performance Points Scholarship in Drama and Theatre at the University of Galway.

Despite an increasingly impressive performance CV, Lauren has remained equally committed to another lifelong ambition – becoming a primary school teacher.

Currently studying for her Bachelor of Education degree at Dublin City University, she also teaches singing and drama at Bright Stars Stage School in Navan, where she enjoys encouraging the next generation of young performers.

“I really love teaching,” she said.

“I'd love to find a balance between teaching and performing because they're both things I'm really passionate about.”

She believes helping children build confidence through music and drama is just as rewarding as stepping onto a stage herself.

Away from musical theatre, Lauren regularly performs at weddings, festivals, corporate events and community concerts throughout Meath and beyond. She also lends her voice to a number of charity fundraisers and local events, combining her love of performing with supporting worthwhile causes.

Looking ahead, she hopes to continue auditioning for productions whenever opportunities arise, while continuing her teaching studies.

“I used to plan everything,” she said.

“Now I just try to take the opportunities that come along if I feel they're the right fit.

“I think if you keep taking the next right step, everything else will fall into place.”

For now, however, all eyes are on Anita – the fiery, passionate character Lauren has admired since childhood and is finally preparing to bring to life on one of Ireland's biggest stages.

“It's definitely my biggest role so far,” she said.

“And I honestly can't wait.”