AN OTLEY teenager is celebrating reaching the final of a major musical theatre competition.

Sixteen year old Emeli Mumford has made it through an audition and two heats to reach the last stage of the West End Calling contest.

The Prince Henry's Grammar School student's long-held dream is to perform in a West End show - and she says this opportunity has put that goal 'within reach'.

Emeli, who is currently juggling writing a musical whilst studying for her GCSEs, will sing in the final of the competition at London's The Other Palace theatre on Sunday, May 27.

Her mother, Sarah, said: "Emeli's one passion is to perform in a West End show.

"She has been lucky enough to take part in workshops with stars such as Imelda Staunton and Jim Carter - all thanks to her amazing dance teacher, Damien Poole, who’s been in the West End for about ten years and has now set up the DPTA performing arts school in Harrogate.

"She’s not had many opportunities to perform musical theatre in the past, though, and this competition has been the first real chance to show off what she can do in that field."

Emeli was part of the Youth Music Theatre UK company 2017, performing in the show More in Common, inspired by the tragic death of the MP Jo Cox.

She has also made the area finals of several singing competitions and last year performed at the O2 Academy Leeds, in the finals of SoundWaves, and came second in the Breeze Leeds Has Talent contest.

Emeli, who will perform with the Youth Music Theatre UK again this year in a rock musical, is also a keen songwriter.

She is planning to release one of her compositions, Dear Santa, as a Christmas song on December 1 to raise money for Save the Children.

She is also aiming to enlist young budding singers, aged between five and 11, to sing on the track.

Sarah said: "The children will have a truly unique experience getting to rehearse together in Otley Courthouse in July and September, and then recording the song in a professional recording studio in Leeds in September.

"Emeli has a lot of experience working with children as she has helped teach the talented DPTA children for around 3 years."

Parents with children interested in the opportunity are asked to contact Emeli by e-mail at emelimusic01@gmail.com .

The Dear Santa project is being paid for by Emeli's busking money and funds from a JustGiving page which can be supported at: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/dearsantaproject .