Ex-Ascot schoolgirl bags role in BBC's Blandings
Published 5 Feb 2013 09:00
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Alice Orr-Ewing from the BBC show Blandings
Alice at choir practice in Heathwood School, Ascot, where she was a pupil
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A FORMER Ascot schoolgirl has become one of the stars of BBC One's new Sunday night period drama slot.
Alice Orr-Ewing stars alongside Jennifer Saunders and Timothy Spall in 1920s PG Wodehouse comedy adaptation Blandings.
The role of their niece, Angela is only the second television appearance for the 23-year-old, who attended the Heathfield School between 2001 and 2007.
Last September and just two months after graduating from the London Academy of Music and Drama (LAMDA), Alice made her debut television appearance in ITV's adaptation of the Daphne Du Maurier novel The Scapegoat. Alice was a regular on the school stage and a member of the choir, starring in many productions, including Our Country's Good and The Crucible.
Alice, who also had a small part in the blockbuster Atonement, starring Keira Knightley and James McAvoy, maintains close links with Heathfield, recently reading at the Heathfield Fellowship Carol Service.
Taking time out from rehearsing for a new Mike Leigh film Untitled 13, she said: "At Heathfield, I took part in as much as the school had to offer: from the school plays to drama competitions, comedy excerpts at speech days and similar events and writing and performing the fourth form panto. I was immersed in it. At the end of fourth form, the casting director for Atonement visited Heathfield and at the age of 16 I was given my first experience on screen in a blockbuster film."
Heathfield headteacher Jo Heywood said: "Alice is set for a glittering future on our screens. She discovered her love of acting at Heathfield, where drama is very strong. We are so proud to be able to number an actress with such a bright future among the ranks of our old girls. We are very lucky that Alice is also a very keen supporter of the school and we are looking forward to welcoming her back soon to talk to the girls."
This article appeared in Bracknell News 05 Feb 13
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