RYEDALE stage prodigy Scott Garnham, back on dry land after performing on cruise ships for a year, is wasting no time in returning to the York stage.

On Sunday at 7.30pm, in the Basement Bar of City Screen, York, he performs The Lives Of Me, a charity cabaret based on his cruise shows. Admission to this private event is by invitation only and all profits will go to Macmillan Cancer Relief, in memory of his grandfather.

"The show is basically me with guests singing the songs of Frank Sinatra, Tom Jones, Queen, Dusty Springfield, Barry Manilow and more, and my guests will be Lauren Hood, Dan Hield, Martin Lettin, Michael Oliver, Sarah Croft and musical director Adam Tomlinson and his band," Scott says.

Two factors prompted Sunday's performance. "One night on board the M/S Braemar it occurred to me that when I arrived back home I'd have to tell a lot of people about my experience over the past 13 months. Being a naturally lazy person, I decided that I'd much rather tell everybody all at once and get it out the way, so to speak. So I got to thinking how I could do this in a manner that was informative and entertaining," says Scott.

"In addition, three years ago I unfortunately lost my Granddad and extremely close friend Ronald Gaden to the terrible disease of lung cancer. He was a huge fan of music and in particular musical theatre, and I decided I'd like to put together a concert in his memory. Suddenly an idea was born."

Scott, 20, from Norton, has made his mark with Shipton Theatre Company and Rowntree Musical Theatre, piling up credits as an actor, director, producer, choreographer and designer. Now his talents have secured him a scholarship on the September intake for the Masters degree in musical theatre at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.

"There were only 12 places and around 800 applicants, so I'm feeling very proud of myself," he says. "Even funnier, I'm the only person from England that's been accepted and the only boy from the UK."

Before leaving North Yorkshire, Scott has two more stage engagements. First, he is to play Malcolm in Shipton Theatre Company's production of The Full Monty from July 26 to 30 at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York. "That's a really good show; I'm just worried about the actual stripping! Aaahh!" he says.

Over the summer, he is directing rehearsals of Shipton's revival of Honk: The Ugly Duckling, in which he will play the Cat at the Grand Opera House, York, in September.

"I was in the original professional production under the direction of Julia McKenzie at the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough, so it's very strange to keep doing it," he says. "It's as if it follows me around."

Updated: 15:53 Thursday, June 16, 2005