MOST people who dream of a career in theatre see themselves in the spotlight.

But one Brighton schoolgirl has taken a great leap towards a career backstage after earning a place on a prestigious training course at London’s National Theatre.

Jane Simmons from Roedean School in Brighton travelled to the capital for the course.

The 16-year-old said: “I had heard good things about the National Theatre from the technicians at school, so I always checked the website for opportunities and found the course. For the past couple of years stage management has been my absolute passion. We learnt about the technical capabilities of the three theatres at the National and the roles and responsibilities in a theatre.

“Most people on the course were at university in London or on a gap year while a couple of others were doing A-levels so I was the only one doing GCSEs.

“The most interesting part of the course was learning to call a show and it’s really interesting to see how different stage managers create their book. One day when I am more experienced I would love to work my way up to be a stage manager at the National, but that is very ambitious.”