AS the old saying has it, life imitates art. Or was it, art imitates life?

Whatever, the link between the two is reflected in Shipton Theatre Company's production of Fame The Musical.

"Many of the cast will be starting out on their own professional careers, like the characters in Fame, at stage schools this September," says director Robert Readman.

Kirkham Henry Performing Arts Centre student Laurie Scarth is to attend Arts Educational drama college in London from this autumn; York College student Alicia Roberts is facing a choice between Bretton Hall, Wakefield, or the Central School of Drama; Michael Oliver has a recall to go to Guildford. Abbi Wright is studying theatre design already at York St John College.

Fame follows New York students from their first audition to graduation, taking audiences through the highs, lows, friendships, romances and hard work that is daily life for the star-struck pupils at the Big Apple's legendary High School of Performing Arts.

Here in York, Lauren Hood and Nick Holbek cherish hopes of progressing to stage school and onwards into profession.

Lauren, 16, from Norton, and Nick, 17, from Dunnington, are studying acting at York College and both will be auditioning for stage schools, with Nick lining up drama colleges in London, Bristol, Birmingham and Scotland.

Nick will be playing Jewish musician Schlomo Metzenbaum in Fame, the latest challenge for an actor who first blossomed under the tuition of John Cooper at Stagecoach Youth Theatre York and is now benefiting anew from joining Shipton Theatre Company.

"It's all about getting different experiences from working with different directors. I was attracted to Shipton by the production of Honk!. I was doing the lighting all week and that show made me want to join the company," he says.

He followed his sister and brother in joining Stagecoach, having taken his initial theatrical steps at the Steiner School in Fulford.

"You have to do a Shakespeare play in your last year there and I jumped into playing King Lear at the age of 14. John Cooper came to see that and was impressed, so I joined Stagecoach - but I remember then waving my arms around far too much in my first show, The Real McCoy."

Whereas Nick has not seen Fame The Musical, Lauren is a big fan of the American show. "Just a bit!" she says. "I've seen it a few times, in York and London and Bradford. I like the show because it encourages anyone to have a go and have self-belief."

Appropriately, she is playing Jewish actress Serena Katz, who undergoes exactly that journey. "She's a bit nave and starts off quiet and timid, but she becomes very sassy and really does believe she will become successful," says Lauren.

Such is her own belief in having a go that she has taken the opportunity to choreograph several numbers for the Shipton show.

Shipton Theatre Company presents Fame at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, June 15 to 19. Performances: 7.30pm, Saturday matinee at 2.30pm. First-night tickets cost £6; other evening performances, £8, children under 16 £6; matinee, £7, children £6, on 01904 481855 or 01904 623568.

Updated: 08:44 Friday, June 11, 2004