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Michael Hall Theatre School student Aiden Grimshaw in his performance of “Mad World” on Saturday night has set the standard for this year’s X Factor.  Aiden is certainly now the man to beat.   Why not leave a good luck message in the comments box below.

Aiden’s brooding performance of “Mad World” click here

Click Here to see Aiden’s X Factor judges’ houses performance

Bootcamp audition Click Here

To see Aiden auditioning with Kanye West’s Gold Digger  Click Here
Aiden’s blown away! backstage interview click here

Aiden started singing lessons at the Michael Hall Theatre School in 2004 and in the true spirit of the theatre, worked his way through the training starting with the part of Danny with an extract from Grease, for a performance in Hits from Great Musicals at Blackpool’s Opera House. Later in the same year he played two small parts in Bugsy Malone, his first time with orchestra, at MHTS.

Bugsy Malone

As happens with all boys when they reach a certain age, their voices begin to break, a critical time for Aiden. As his voice began to change,  we started rehearsals for Oliver. He had begun to loose his puppy fat and we were soon left with a skinny Mr Bumble! Not only that, but to our horror his voice was dropping so fast that  the key had to be lowered  for the whole orchestra in  “Boy for Sale”  not a small task!

Mr Bumble in Oliver!

 Aiden’s talent for performing and wowing an audience first came to light in the wake of Robbie Williams’ album Swing while you’re winning. He asked to sing  Ain’t that a kick in the head and Straighten up and fly right. No-one present on that evening will ever forget the confident style and the gyrating head movements.  This thirteen year old wowed the audience of our theatre school Swing Night in the same way he did during his audition on  X Factor. 

Soon Aiden started with drama lessons, winning prizes at Blackpool Festival and working his way through to LAMDA Gold Medal.

Aiden also took the opportunity to act in our theatre school plays and gave excellent performances in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Diary of Anne Frank and Hard to Swallow. He subsequently played  leading musical theatre roles in Calamity Jane staged at our theatre school and Mack and Mabel in our production at the Lowther Pavilion.

It cannot be emphasized enough that over the years Aiden has worked hard at his chosen profession and has been willing to have a go at everything and anything.  Aiden even had a go at classical singing, playing Adam in Haydn’s The Creation and singing chorus in various classical evenings at the theatre school.

His most recent performance was that of Romeo in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet at the theatre school in March of this year in a most moving and thoughtful performance with a twinkle in his eye.

Michael Hall Theatre School wishes him the greatest success in X Factor, despite the consequences it will have if he does well. Our future plans with him include directing our next year’s performance of Bugsy Malone, thus completing the cycle from bit parts to director and on his suggestion, we were preparing for the Brecht play The Good Person of Szechwan. Audience members come especially to see him in our shows, let’s hope they will soon be flocking to see him in huge venues…..

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