A SCHOOLGIRL will soon be starring in a short film and a production of The Sleeping Beauty after impressing casting directors at a series of auditions.

Despite narrowly missing out on the part of Matilda in the West End hit musical of the same name, 10-year-old Charlotte Boyce from Kidlington has bagged a film role and a ballet school scholarship.

The West Kidlington Primary School pupil will begin shooting a short film in Easter which will be shown at cinemas across the UK.

Although she has been told she has landed a role, Charlotte and her family are waiting for further details on the project.

But in the meantime she has been spotted by the English Youth Ballet, who have offered her a partial scholarship.

She said: “It’s really good to get into the English Youth Ballet. There were 85 of us and they gave some scholarships away and I got a part scholarship.

“I would like to be a dancer or an actress or an artist – I like Darcey Bussell and Adele.”

Charlotte, who takes lessons at the Dance 10 Theatre School in Witney and lives in Poplar Close, Kidlington, will embark on an intensive three-week training course with the youth ballet school, culminating in a full-length production of The Sleeping Beauty in August.

Charlotte was one of three children to win scholarships to the English Youth Ballet School and will have part of her £420 fee subsidised.

Casting is yet to take place and she won’t find out her role for several months, but she will dance alongside professional adult dancers from companies including the English National Ballet and the Royal Ballet.

The school’s first teacher Ursula Hageli is now the ballet mistress for the Royal Ballet.

Charlotte’s proud mum and dad, Tracey and Jonathan, and seven-year-old sister Abigail are convinced she is a star in the making and have set up an online profile for her on an industry talent website where she was spotted by a film production company.

Mrs Boyce said: “She’s done really well. The feedback from Matilda was that she had done really well, but she wasn’t successful this time.

“Then there was a job going for children to take part in a short film and she got down to the last 15 and then we got an email to say she’s got the part.

“This was her first film audition and she’s got it.”