Budding actor Freddy Targar has landed the role of Banquo’s son Fleance in a professional production of Shakespeare’s Macbeth.
The Scottish Play, as you are supposed to call it unless you want bad luck, will be staged at Bolton’s Octagon Theatre from March 4 to 28, and tickets are already selling fast.
Haslingden High School and Sixth Form Year 7 student Freddy, 12, began his acting career six years ago at Footlights Rossendale Saturday Stage School, which hires space in Haslingden Sixth Form.
“I also go to an acting club, Drama Llama, in Haslingden and am in the drama club at school. I went to the show in Bolton because my friend in school, Audrey Morris, got a part in A Christmas Carol at the same theatre, and I went to see her in it. I had been in Spain, so I couldn’t attend that audition, but when I heard they were casting for this play, I thought I would see how far I could get. I went into a room, and I read some lines, and a week later they messaged me to say I had got the part – I got the role of Fleance. I have never been in a big stage show before, not like this. When I went for the part, I only knew about the witches and that there was a guy called Macbeth; now I have read it all.”
As young actors are only allowed to work limited hours, there are four children taking on the two child roles.
“I am really looking forward to it and to being behind the scenes on a production.”
He has previously had a minor role in the CBBC programme Odd Squad. Freddy also got into the final round of auditions for the role of Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter TV show, which will feature the escapades from JK Rowlings’ famous novels that never made it to the movies. Although he wasn’t selected, the audition was a great experience, and he got an all-expenses-paid trip to London.
“I like going to Footlights, I like how it is run, and they are really skilled actors who run it. Obviously, I want to be an actor but, if that doesn’t work out, I would like to be an architect.”