Frankie Aird, an ex-pupil of Longbenton High School this week successfully performed the leading role of Jack in the Tyne Theatre Production Company performance of the classic musical Into The Woods. In his first production with this highly regarded local theatre company, Frankie impressed with his stage experience and pure tenor vocal tone to land the role of Jack the Beanstalk in Sondheim’s fairy-tale masterpiece. Whilst at Longbenton High School, Frankie shone in principal roles performed within school productions at the Whitley Bay Playhouse including Galileo (We Will Rock You) and Nick Piazzo (Fame) before moving on to read History at Newcastle University where he is now in his first year of study. In his Into The Woods programme biography, Frankie states that he “attributes his love of performing arts to his time at Longbenton High School, where he also performed with the school choir in Paris, Berlin and the Metro Radio Arena”. Whilst working on Into The Woods, Frankie performed alongside Longbenton High School drama teacher Miss Bell, an experienced musical theatre performer who has a longstanding affiliation with the Tyne Theatre and in this production played the comic role of Florinda. The production, which took place between 7-10th March at Newcastle’s Tyne Theatre and Opera House has rightly secured rave reviews. We are delighted that Frankie continues to pursue his love of performing arts and look forward to seeing him take on his next role.
