A LEADING drama school is hoping to make Billy Elliott-style dreams come true for budding young North-East actors.

The Guildford School of Acting (GSA), in Surrey, is holding an audition in Durham City that will lead to one boy and one girl winning free places on its BA Honours degree courses that cost £9,000 a year.

The school has produced famous names such as Brenda Blethyn, Celia Imrie, Gaby Roslin and Michael Greco.

It said that though the North-East was a hotbed of talent, it received few applications from the region.

Now it hopes to unearth the teenagers who could be the next big names in stage, screen or film.

It will hold an open audition, which could attract up to 100 hopefuls, at Durham City's Gala Theatre on Friday, December 12, starting at 3.30pm.

The most talented pair will be flown South, all expenses paid, for a second audition that could lead to them winning the coveted places.

The GSA's head of production Adrian Hall, who at eight-years-old played Jeremy in the 1960s' film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, said: "We get 1,500 applications a year for 50 places. We don't want to fill the school with white middle-class people from Surrey. We want a mix.

"When we looked at the applications we found there are areas where nobody is coming from and that we just didn't get applications from the North-East.

"I know this is a thriving area and I'm expecting to see some very talented people.''

Gala Theatre spokesman Ed Tutty said: "It shows the burgeoning reputation of The Gala."

Applicants must be aged 17 or over - proof is required - and must take to the audition two speeches - one classical, one contemporary - or one song - with sheet music - and a speech.