MX MASTERCLASS STUDENT SUCCESS
EMILY CAREY
Emily began their career in 2013 in the West End production of Shrek the Musical at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane and as Marta von Trapp in The Sound of Music at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre where they met Michael D. Xavier who played her father, Captain von Trapp.
They then joined MX Masterclass (then known as Musical Theatre Masterclass).
The following year, Emily joined the cast of Casualty as Grace Beauchamp, a role they played until 2017 and reprised in 2021. They also appeared in the video for Idina Menzel and Michael Bublé‘s cover of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside“.[10] They played Mary Conan Doyle in the ITV drama Houdini & Doyle.[11][12] Emily was listed in a The Huffington Post article as one of the top five child stars of 2016.[13]
Emily made their feature film debut as young Diana Prince (Wonder Woman) in the 2017 DC Universe film Wonder Woman.[14] This was followed by a role as young Lara Croft in the 2018 Tomb Raider reboot film.[7] They signed with IMG Models in 2019.[15]
In 2020, Emily played Mika Cavanaugh in the BBC iPlayer teen series Get Even, which was distributed internationally on Netflix, as well as the titular Anastasia in the film Anastasia: Once Upon a Time, also on Netflix.[16][17] They voiced Anne Frank and Mila in the animated films Where Is Anne Frank[18] and Monster Family 2 respectively.[19]
In July 2021, it was announced Emily had been cast as young Alicent Hightower (with the older version of the character played by Olivia Cooke) in the 2022 HBO fantasy series House of the Dragon, a Game of Thrones prequel and adaptation of George R. R. Martin‘s fictional history book Fire and Blood.[20][21] They also portrayed teenage Wendy in the film adaption of Laurie Fox’s novel The Lost Girls.[22]
In June 2023, it was announced that Emily would portray Harriet Manners in the Netflix adaptation of the Geek Girl young adult book series by Holly Smale,[23] which came out on 30 May 2024.
We are proud that Emily agreed to be a patron of MX Masterclass and they come back to take masterclasses in between filming projects.
“Being invited to be a patron of MX Masterclass means more than words. I am filled with pride to have the opportunity to support the place that has taught me so much and given me an unbelievable amount of joy over the years. It’s an honour and my heart is so full!”
SEBASTIAN CROFT
Sebastian began his career as a child actor on stage before making his television debut as Young Ned Stark in Game of Thrones (2016).[1] He earned a BAFTA Children's Award nomination for his role in Horrible Histories: The Movie – Rotten Romans (2019).[2][3] He has since starred in the Netflix series Heartstopper (2022–2023).
Theatre
Sebastian made his first West End stage appearance in 2010 in Sam Mendes' production of
Oliver! (Theatre Royal Drury Lane). In 2011, he was cast as Gavroche in
Les Misérables (Queen's Theatre). Sebastian was later handpicked by producer Cameron
Mackintosh to return to Oliver!, this time playing the title role in the UK touring
company for eighteen months.
In 2013, Sebastian played Tommy in the Royal Shakespeare Company production of Matilda (Cambridge Theatre).[15] His final musical performance as a juvenile was in the title role of the world premiere production of The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole (Leicester Curve). Prominent musical theatre workshops include: I Can't Sing, The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Bumblescratch,[16] Danny Hero, and The Braille Legacy.[17] Prominent one-night concerts and performances include: Rags: The Musical (Lyric Theatre)[18] and A Charity Concert With Emeli Sande and Laura Wright. In June 2016, Sebastian appeared in the West End Live presentation of Bumblescratch in Trafalgar Square.[19]
In 2014, Sebastian’s vocals were featured in the National Theatre Live's production of Coriolanus (Donmar Warehouse) with Tom Hiddleston.[15] Sebastian workshopped the play Emil and The Detectives (National Theatre) in the title role of Emil Tischbein. In 2016, Sebastian was cast in the role of Prince Arthur in Sir Trevor Nunn's production of Shakespeare's King John (Rose Theatre)[20] for which he received high praise from the national press.[21]
In 2023, in his first stage appearance in eight years,[22] Sebastian appeared in Amy Herzog's play 4000 Miles at the Minerva Theatre at Chichester Festival Theatre, with Dame Eileen Atkins.
Film and Television
In 2016, Croft appeared in the ITV and Fox series Houdini and Doyle and the Sky Atlantic and Showtime series Penny Dreadful. Croft rose to prominence portraying the role of a young Eddard Stark (portrayed by Sean Bean as an adult and Robert Aramayo as a young adult) in the sixth season of the HBO series Game of Thrones.[1]
Read MoreNATALIE PARIS
Natalie started her career in musicals as a child and was in West End productions such as Les Miserables at the age of 10[6] and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. She was cast as Louise in the 2005 version of Sunday in the Park with George at the Menier Chocolate Factory with Anna-Jane Casey and Daniel Evans.[7] The show transferred to the Wyndham's Theatre in 2006, with Jenna Russell taking over the role of Dot/Marie.[8][9] Natalie was also part of the original cast recording of the show.[10]
In 2014 she played one of the Ballet Girls in the musical Billy Elliott at Victoria Palace.
Natalie was part of the cast of the musical Six since its beginnings, when the show was still in its workshop stage, before the Edinburgh Fringe in 2018[11] together with Aimie Atkinson. In 2019 Natalie and fellow five cast members of the show were nominated for the Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical. The musical was also nominated for Best New Musical, as well as Marlow and Moss for Outstanding Achievement in Music, Carrie-Anne Ingrouille as Best Theatre Choreographer and Gabriella Slade for Best Costume Design.[12] During the ceremony the full cast performed the song "Ex Wives" from the show.[13] Natalie left the show in 2021.
In 2022 the original cast of the musical reprised their roles for three concerts at Hampton Court Palace.[14][15]
Natalie was part of the cast of the new musical The Regulars, which played as a one-night concert at the Hope Mill Theatre, in Manchester on 29 January 2022, as part of the annual LGBTQIA+ Arts Festival.[16]
She played the role of Construction Worker in the UK concert version of Emojiland, that played at the Garrick Theatre in 2022. Also in the cast Louise Dearman as Princess, Renee Lamb as Police Officer, Tim Mahendran as Guard and Dean John Wilson as Sunny.[17][18] In 2023, she joined the cast of Six Aragon Tour in the US as Jane Seymour, touring the West Coast and making her US debut.[19][20] Natalie is the longest-running cast member of Six, and since debuting on the show in 2017 hasn't been out for more than ten months. She continued working with Marlow and Moss and in 2022 she premiered the song "How Far We've Come", written by the duo, at the Regenerate: Lost Songs from the Musicals concert.[21]
Read MoreASHA BANKS
Asha began her career as a child actress on the West End. She made her feature film debut in The Magic Flute (2022).[1] On television, she is known for her role in the BBC Three series A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (2024). She joined MX Masterclass (then called West End Masterclass and subsequently Musical Theatre Masterclass) in 2014.
Asha made her television debut in 2011 with minor roles in EastEnders and Call the Midwife, both on BBC One.[8] Asha was seven or eight when she was cast as young Éponine in the long-running musical Les Misérables at the Queen’s Theatre in 2012, marking Asha’s West End debut.[9][10] She appeared in the 2014 Almeida and Playhouse Theatre runs of the play 1984.
Asha went on the 2015 UK tour of Annie, playing the eldest orphan Duffy. She joined the West End production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane as Violet Beauregarde before its closure in 2017. She alternated the roles Pandora Braithwaite in the 2017 off-West End production of The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾ at the Menier Chocolate Factory[11] and Lisa James in The Boy in the Dress at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon in 2019.[12]
In 2021, Asha played Thea in the London revival of Spring Awakening at the Almeida Theatre. She was also the understudy for Amara Okereke’s Wendla.[13] Asha was cast in as Princess Pamina in the German musical film The Magic Flute, marking Asha’s feature film debut.[14] The film premiered at the 2022 Zurich Film Festival and had a wide release in 2023. Asha also returned to television in 2022 with a recurring role as Brooke in the BBC iPlayer teen drama Rebel Cheer Squad, a Get Even spinoff.
Asha has upcoming roles in the BBC Three adaptation of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and opposite Matthew Broome in the Amazon Prime film My Fault: London, an English-language version of the Spanish film Culpa mía.[15]
“It’s a huge honour, and super exciting, to be asked to be a patron of MXM alongside the other incredible patrons. I loved training there every week and I made so many friends there along the way. I’m so lucky to have had MXM whilst I was growing in the industry to guide me and fuel my love for performing more and more each week! Michael has always been a mentor for me and also a source of advice and knowledge. He genuinely cares about his students and has helped shape so many careers in this industry. I’m so excited to a patron and become forever involved in this family!”
ISABELLA PAPPAS
Isabella began her career on the London stage, earning Laurence Olivier and WhatsOnStage Award nominations. On television, she is known for her roles in the ITV series Finding Alice (2021) and the Disney Channel series The Villains of Valley View (2022–23).
Upon moving to the city at 11 years old, Isabella made her London stage debut in the 2014 production of The Nether at the Royal Court Theatre in the role of Iris, which she shared with Zoe Brough. The production moved to the Duke of York’s Theatre on the West End in 2015. Isabella was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the 2015 Laurence Olivier Awards for her performance.
Isabella then starred as the titular Annie! on the show’s 2015 tour around the UK.[9] She made her television debut as Sarah Waingrow in the 2016 ITV crime drama miniseries Paranoid. She played Nina in the Stockwell Playhouse production of In the Heights in 2017. This was followed in 2018 by roles in 13 at Porthcurno’s Minack Theatre, the Theatre Royal Stratford East‘s Terror at The Sweetshop, and Bring It On: The Musical at Southwark Playhouse.
For her performance as Cassidy Kramer-Lafayette in the 2019 run of the play Appropriate at the Donmar Warehouse, Isabella was nominated for the WhatsOnStage Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Play.[10] She returned to television with guest appearances in the CBBC musical Almost Never in 2019 and the Channel 4 comedy-drama Home in 2020.
Isabella landed her first main television role as Charlotte Walsh, the daughter of Keeley Hawes‘ titular character, in the 2021 ITV comedy-drama Finding Alice.[11][12]
She was then cast in a Disney pilot (working titles included Amy from Amarillo and Meet the Mayhems),[13] which became The Villains of Valley View and premiered in 2022 on Disney Channel and Disney+.[14]
In 2023, Isabella was cast as Joyce Maldonado (later Byers) in the Stranger Things prequel stage play Stranger Things: The First Shadow,[15] which will premiere on 17 November 2023 at the Phoenix Theatre in London. Isabella also played the first victim of Jimmy Savile in an episode of the BBC One miniseries The Reckoning. She has a role in the upcoming film Beach Boys.[16]
IMOGEN GURNEY
Imogen started her professional career at the age of 9. She appeared in a number of West End and touring theatre shows including THE SOUND OF MUSIC (with Michael D. Xavier), SHREK THE MUSICAL and BILLY ELLIOT. She also originated the role of Pandora Braithwaite in Curve Theatre’s ‘THE SECRET DIARY OF ADRIAN MOLE, and in 2014 performed at the Olivier Awards.
Imogen made her screen debut at 13, in ITV’s ENDEAVOUR. Whilst studying for her A Levels, Imogen landed a series regular role in BBC comedy show WANNABE.
Imogen later went on to play series regulars in Harlan Coben’s ‘SAFE’ (Netflix) and Emmy award winning show BACK TO LIFE (BBC/Showtime)
Imogen’s upcoming projects include DOCTORS (BBC) and short film THE MEN FROM DAMNATION CONTROL, both due to release in 2024.
Further screen credits include : CASUALTY (BBC), DIXI (BBC), BILLY ELLIOT LIVE (Working Title/Universal Pictures), Jason Manford’s Horror : THAT’S THE SPIRIT (Sky).
MADELINE CHARLEMAGNE
Currently starring as the lead Eurydice in the West End production of Hadestown.
ZACH LOIZOU
Zach was a student in 2015 and went on to become a member of boyband Here At Last. After the band separated Zach went solo. He has just released a solo single ‘Naughty Boys’ which was played over 100,000 times in the first week!
ATHENA COLLINS
Recently starred in 42 Balloons and now in West End production of Moulin Rouge. Athena was also in Get Up, Stand Up (the Bob Marley musical)!
