A TALENTED teenager is chasing her stage dreams after landing a place with one of the UK’s top youth theatre organisations, and now her community is rallying behind her.

Megan Burton, 13, from Tollard Royal, has been accepted into the prestigious British Youth Music Theatre (BYMT) following a competitive national audition process.

Performing has been part of Megan’s life for as long as she can remember.

Her parents say she “could sing before she could talk”, and she has gone on to train extensively – from youth theatre at Big Little Theatre School to ballet at Salisbury Dance Studios, alongside online acting classes with Mark Jermin.

Megan said she was overjoyed to secure a place.

“I’m really excited as I had to audition and people are selected nationwide and the places are very limited for the productions,” she said.

“The audition was really fun, and I was really happy when I got accepted.”

Megan is no stranger to the spotlight!

The opportunity also brings valuable qualifications, with the course leading to a Grade 8 in group performance; a significant step for a young performer.

But taking part comes at a cost, and Megan’s family has now launched a £2,000 fundraising appeal to help make it happen.

Megan added: “The fundraising gives me a good opportunity to learn about fundraising and is a great project.”

Her mum, Dana Burton, said the response so far has been heartwarming.

“We’ve been really grateful to our local community for getting behind Megan and supporting her, and we’ve already seen some great donations – we’ve now raised a quarter of the funds,” she said.

Megan hopes for a great turnout to her fundraising show in Sixpenny Handley.

Supporters are also invited to a fundraising show in Sixpenny Handley on Saturday, May 17 at 5pm.

To donate or find out more, visit: https://megan-fundraiser.sintra.site/ or her GoFundMe page: https://gofund.me/c8d94230b

For Megan, it’s more than just a performance – it’s the next step in a lifelong passion, with a community cheering her on every step of the way.