Corsham teenager Amy Charlesworth is one step closer to realising her dream of performing on the West End after reaching the second round of a national competition.

The 18-year-old, of Swan Road, Corsham, is competing in Star of Stage 2014, a contest offering the chance to win a scholarship to the Connie Fisher Academy in Cardiff.

She entered after hearing about it online and after fighting off competitors in round one she will perform a second song, I Dreamed A Dream from Les Miserables, in front of judges tomorrow.

Miss Charlesworth said she had been a fan of Connie Fisher since seeing her appear on a BBC reality television show starring Andrew Lloyd Webber in 2006.

She said: “I have a very big range. I can go nearly all the way to the top of the keyboard and I can also go very low, so I can sing a lot of songs.

“Apparently I was singing before I could speak. Personally I feel at home on stage – I get on stage and I feel like I’m me, I feel as though it’s where I belong.

“I’m really lucky with my family – at the drop of a hat they will take me to an audition. They are really supportive of what I do. I think this competition is totally up my street and it will open so many doors for me.”

Miss Charlesworth, who is studying at The Corsham School, hopes to study for a degree in musical theatre next year at the Guildford School of Acting.

She is a member of Stagecoach Theatre Arts Group, Melksham, and also helps with Stagecoach Chippenham’s early stages group.

For more information on the competition, visit www.starofstage.co.uk