WATCH THIS: Listen to the amazing voice of Matlock teenager chosen to sing at West End star Kerry Ellis's concert in Derbyshire
A talented teenage singer from Matlock shed tears of happiness when she found out that she had been chosen to perform in a concert headlined by one of her favourite stars.
Imogen Clark will sing at Kerry Ellis’s concert in Derby Theatre on October 20 when she will also have the opportunity to chat with the West End star on stage and behind the scenes.
Eighteen-year-old Imogen will sing a two-minute song at the Queen of the West End concert. Her choice of song has yet to be decided but it may be her audition piece – Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again from The Phantom of the Opera.
She said: “There's a big part of me that's very nervous but hopefully it goes well.”
Imogen is a student at Tllly Studios in Great Longstone and was encouraged by Emma Hopkins who runs the performance arts training base to enter Kerry's Search For A Solo Star which was organised by Audition Ready. She said: "It involved sending in a video clip of me singing a song of my choice. I decided to sing Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again.
"It was a month before I heard anything and I got an email on my birthday saying that I was through to the next round which was a Zoom call. There were 16 people on the call which was everyone who had been successful, people from Audition Ready were on there and there was also someone who had a blank screen and their name was X. We were told we were through and then Kerry Ellis's face popped up on the blank screen!
"I couldn't believe it! I'm not a crier, but when I found out I shed a couple of tears of joy and shock."
Imogen posted the happy news on her Facebook page, tagging in Kerry and Audition Ready to thank them for the opportunity. Kerry reposted the post on her personal page and sent Imogen a kiss on a private message.
Kerry, who is regarded as the First Lady of the West End, made her debut in London’s theatre land in My Fair Lady in 2001. She went on win awards in the West End and on Broadway for playing the roles of Elphaba in Wicked, Nancy in Oliver! and Grizabella in Cats, among her numerous shows.
No stranger to life in the spotlight, Imogen was on telly with her brother Charlie in 2019 when they competed on The Voice Kids as the duo Sweet Harmony. Imogen said: “That was probably the best experience I've had so far. We were on team Pixie Lott and got through to the battle rounds. We got to meet the judges; I knitted a hat for will.i.am which I gave to him and he wore it."
Imogen has an extensive list of theatre credits which includes playing a young Princess Fiona in Shrek when she was eight years old at Sheffield Lyceum in a production starring Dean Chisnall and Faye Brookes. Two years later, she was part of the children’s choir in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat starring Joe McElderry, at Buxton Opera House.
She has played Miss Honey in Matilda twice, most recently for Theatreworks in Matlock Bath when she was 17 and for Tilly Studios when she was 15. Imogen played Sister Mary Robert in Highfields School's production of Sister Act when she was 15. At the age of 12 she played Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz for Theatreworks. Imogen played Blousey Brown in Bugsy Malone when she was 12 and Birgitta in The Sound of Music when she 10, both with the Essential Energy School of Dance.
Earlier this year Imogen sang at the prestigious World Mobile Congress at Barcelona’s Olympic Stadium as a member of Perfect Pitch Choir, one of two choirs she sings in at Tilly Studios.
Imogen, who is studying music, drama and English at A-level, hopes to go to drama school or to study music when she leaves Highfields School.