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Rising star makes the grade
Louise Jury, Chief Arts Correspondent15.05.08
An actress who renounced Oxbridge academia for the stage has been chosen as the class brainbox in hit show High School Musical.
Claire-Marie Hall is set for national fame after winning the part of Gabriella Montez in the stage version of the Disney TV film.
The role of the maths geek who falls for sporty school hero Troy (Mark Evans) is one she understands. Hall, too, stood out as being clever at school in Newport, Wales.
"When you're brainy in school it's a lot harder to fit in," she said. "All the way up to A-levels, I was going to be a lawyer. I wanted to go to Oxford or Cambridge. At the last minute I decided to tell my parents that I wanted to do a drama degree. It didn't go down so well."
Her decision to study at Mountview Theatre School in London has since been vindicated. She made her West End debut as Cosette in Les MisÈrables before winning her latest role.
Hall said: "Like in High School Musical, it all turned out well in the end. It's a nice message to kids out there - to be yourself." The show, which took more than £11million on its recent national tour, will also star Letitia Dean as drama teacher Ms Darbus.
Some of the proceeds from its 5 July premiere at the Hammersmith Apollo will go to Great Ormond Street Hospital, as part of Disney's pledge to help it raise £10million. Hospital spokeswoman Lesley Miles said: "This is particularly brilliant because High School Musical is so popular among our patients." The show runs from 28 June to 31 August.
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