Harrison’s heading to the West End

YOUNG Armstrong Creek actor Harrison Coppock will have the experience of a lifetime this year when he heads overseas for theatrical training in London’s famed West End.

The 11-year-old has been accepted for a cultural and theatre education program, and will be travelling with some of his peers from CentreStage Performing Arts Academy.

On the 16-day trip in August, Harrison will take part in elite training with musical theatre school West End Stage and perform live at the legendary Her Majesty’s Theatre at the completion of the course, and will also tour some of London’s well-known theatre sites.

Harrison has been involved in musical theatre for three years, and is taking singing, dancing and acting lessons.

He has appeared in CentreStage’s productions of The Little Mermaid, Rooster in Annie Jnr and as the villain, Lord Farquaad, in Shrek Jnr, and also performs with Parallax Performing Arts.

His other credits include Theatre of the Damned’s 2022 production of Gypsy, and the just-closed Sleeping Beauty with Medimime Productions at the Geelong Arts Centre.

“The theatre’s a non-judgemental zone, everyone there has a bubbly personality – you don’t necessarily get judged at theatre and it’s a really fun place to be; singing and dancing with all of your friends and being on stage,” Harrison said.

“I’d like to be in The Lion King, or Priscilla; that was a really good one.”

Harrison is finishing Grade 5 at Armstrong Creek School this year and is also captain of the school’s Wakikiri (performing arts group).

He said the August 2024 trip would be his first time visiting London.

“I just want to fly over and look at all of the sights!” he said.

Harrison’s dad Brian is rightfully very proud of his son.

“I can’t stop talking about him,” he said.

“Family and friends come and watch him, and they say they can’t keep their eyes off him. “We had a 14- or 15-year-old girl at Sleeping Beauty that we’d never met before come up to him and ask ‘Are you Harrison? My mum and I were watching you, you’re amazing, you don’t know us, but can we get your autograph?’

“He works extremely hard, we’re in the car and he’s singing his songs for all his shows, he’s been super-busy over these past three or four months.”

Harrison has launched a GoFundMe with the aim of raising $9,000 to support his trip, and more than $1,200 has been donated so far.

For more information or to donate, head to gofundme.com/f/west-end-stage-attend-academy-and-perform