Child star Bessie Cursons announces performance at the Kings Theatre

Actress Bessie Cursons’ talent was spotted by the industry legend when she performed Mary Poppins on Britain’s Got Talent in the glare of television cameras as a child.

Since then she has appeared in TV shows including Casualty and Doctors, and Oliver on the West End alongside Rowan Atkinson. She also starred in ITV's children’s comedy show My Phone Genie.

Now she has opened a dance school and is putting her pupils’ talent on display at the Kings Theatre in Southsea.

Her production of A Celebration of Musicals will be the Portsmouth entertainer’s first performance at the Albert Road theatre.

Bessie said: ‘I’m extremely excited to be returning to the Kings Theatre to present our show A Celebration of Musicals.

‘All our pupils have been working extremely hard in the run up to the performance and I can’t wait to watch them all shine on that stage.’

Bessie added: ‘Since I first came out of BGT I did a lot of TV work and I kept busy in my acting side, then while I was doing my acting I got my teaching qualifications at Chichester College, and nearly two years ago I opened my own school.

‘We’ve been really lucky to be successful and we really expanded which is amazing.

‘It gives children in Portsmouth the opportunity to perform and develop so they can go to auditions and do TV and West End productions which is nice.’

The show will be on stage at the theatre on April 7. Bessie’s dance school opened two years ago at St Nicholas Church in Hilsea. She offers classes at Mayfield School in North End, including ballet, tap, modern as well as musical theatre and acting classes.

Bessie added: ‘The musicals we feature are all family favourites so people in the audience will be able to get into them and the story line and really get into the songs.’

‘The whole school is included in this production all the way up to our adult tappers, our youngest is 18 months.

‘We’re featuring five different musicals, we’re doing Oliver, Grease, and we’ve got Matilda but I’ll leave the last two as a surprise.’

For more see bessiecursonsacademy.com