A first-year pupil at Trinity School in Shirley has been named best child actor of the year in the WhatsOnStage Awards for his performances at the National Theatre’s Land of the Living.
Prize guy: Anton Vehring with his trophy at the Palladium on Sunday night
Anton Vehring is 11 years old. He made his West End stage debut as “Young Thomas”, sharing the role with three young actors.
The play starred Juliet Stevenson and was directed by Stephen Daldry, who famously brought outstanding performances from Jamie Bell when a child actor in Billy Elliott.
The boys’ role required the young actors to speak in Polish and sing in German.
The four boys – Vehring with Platon Filatov, Darcy Tosun and Artie Wilkinson-Hunt – were called up to the stage at the glitzy ceremony at the London Palladium, where Paddington the Musical was the night’s big winners.
Vehring said, “I feel very honoured to win the award. There were amazing people nominated and I was shocked to win.
“The whole experience of being in Land of the Living was brilliant, the cast felt like a family, and we all became great friends. Everyone treated me so kindly and I learned that the most important thing is to have fun.”
Curtain call: Vehring takes a bow alongside the cast of Land of the Living, including adult actors such as Juliette Stevenson (second left)
Lucy Robinson, the director of drama at Trinity, said: “For Anton and the other young Land of the Living actors to be recognised in this inaugural children’s award is hugely exciting.
“It is a reflection of the efforts they all put into learning the languages and developing Thomas’ character to wow audiences at the National Theatre. I know Anton thoroughly enjoyed the rehearsal and performance experience, so for it to be recognised with an award is the cherry on top!”
Trinity School is a selective private school, co-ed in the Sixth form, with around 1,000 pupils, where fees are almost £30,000 per year.
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