A working-class lad from Middlesbrough has won a prestigious scholarship while training at one of Britain’s most famous drama schools.

Sol Taibi, who attended Haughton School in Darlington, has won the Luke Westlake Scholarship, which was set up in 2019 by Just Add Milk (JAM), a charitable theatre group trying to make the closed-shop industry more accessible to actors from less affluent backgrounds.

Now in his second year of training, this is a huge boost for Sol’s career; one that almost didn’t get off the ground.

Having applied to various drama schools for six years running, he was finally accepted at  applications to drama schools before finally being accepted by Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.

The Northern Echo: Sol performing in A Donkey's Tale at Bristol Old Vic Theatre SchoolSol performing in A Donkey's Tale at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School (Image: Bristol Old Vic Theatre School)

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Speaking about the awards ceremony in December 2022 at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, Sol said: “I feel really lucky to be in this position, I'm over the moon, and I really could not believe it at all when I found out I’d won at the awards ceremony. It was like an out-of-body experience and I somehow put one foot in front of the other but I was on auto-pilot.”

Having gained experience as a youngster at Stagecoach Performing Arts in Darlington, he went on to study a BTEC in acting.

He then gained a place on Project A, a one year full-time acting course at Newcastle Theatre Royal in 2018, while supplementing his income by working part-time at Sainsbury's.

Sol continued: “I think being from the North East, we do get forgotten about. When I tell people where I’m from I have to say ‘50 miles south of Newcastle’ because no one seems to have heard of Middlesbrough or Darlington.

“I think things are changing a bit and there’s now less stress on North East actors having to loose their accent to get on.”

The Northern Echo: Sol Taibi in a production of A Donkey's TaleSol Taibi in a production of A Donkey's Tale (Image: Bristol Old Vic Theatre School)

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The scholarship is supported by The Foundry Personal Management and its rewards extend to all eight finalists selected from over 200 applicants.

Sol is over the moon to receive over £6,000 in financial and developmental assistance, including a one-year membership to the online casting database, Spotlight, as well as lunches with leading industry professionals including Becky Paris, head of casting at The Globe.

Sol is determined to prove that birthplace does not dictate potential and hopes to follow in the footsteps of Middlesbrough’s biggest names in showbiz such as Bob Mortimer and Bill Fellows.

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