A GIRL from Cuddington has been given a week-long ‘Golden Ticket’ paid work placement at the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory musical.

Lois Taviner, 21, of Cuddington Lane, who is studying performance design at Leeds University, has been chosen to as one of five young theatre practitioners from all over the country to work backstage on the show.

The five have been shortlisted from more than 600 applicants at an assessment day at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane.

The placement will teach Lois how to do sound checks and maintain lighting for a huge theatre production.

Lois could also be in with a chance of getting a life-changing reward.

A three-month paid placement as production intern on the show will be given to the best candidate at the end of the week.

Lois said: “I’ve wanted to be involved in theatre since high school but I originally wanted to be a performer and then became more into backstage work.

“To get the opportunity to do the three-month placement would be absolutely brilliant.

“I’m so grateful I’ve got down to the last five but I’d love the opportunity to go further.”

“We’ve been getting some great help and advice from the theatre workers here and they truly are amazing so I’ve been absorbing all of what they have to offer.”

The ‘Golden Ticket’ placements are part of Warner Bros. Creative Talent, a new programme of investment in skills and training for the UK creative industries.

Josh Berger, CBE, president and managing director of Warner Bros. UK, Ireland and Spain, said: “Through Warner Bros. Creative Talent we support young people of all backgrounds, who would otherwise not have the chance to access the creative industries.

“We are delighted that with our first UK stage production, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, we are able to offer five talented people invaluable insight and experience into this record-breaking musical and, we hope, their first step towards a career in theatre production.”

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the original publication of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.