West End stardom beckons for Warwick performer Rebecca Faulkenberry as she takes on a lead role in the smash hit Disney phenomenon High School Musical.

Rebecca, 23, will tread the boards at London's Hammersmith Apollo in June after winning the lead role of Sharpay.

The role came after four grueling auditions which eventually saw Disney executives hand pick Rebecca from a long list of talented youngsters.

But the news should come as no surprise to members of Bermuda's drama societies.

Rebecca has played lead roles in both Gilbert and Sullivan (G&S) and Bermuda Musical and Dramatic Society (BMDS) productions since a young age.

In fact during her very first performance as Molly in the G&S production "Annie" she was singled out in a review which ran in this paper.

Though only seven at the time the reviewer wrote "she looked as though she was born singing and dancing".

Two years later she played Alice in BMDS show Alice in Wonderland and the reviewer wrote "clearly at home on the stage, this youngster breezed through her part with — steely confidence — word and blocking perfect".

And in the 2000 G&S production of "Company" she played Marta and the reviewer wrote she had "exciting potential as a future professional". In 2005 when she played Sally Bowles she "stole the show" a reviewer wrote.

So clearly Bermuda saw that her star would shine bright from the get go.

But as she takes the stage in the UK Rebecca will have the opportunity to showcase her talent in the first London stage production of Disney's most successful movie ever.

High School Musical tells the tale of schoolmates Troy and Gabriella.

While Troy is the popular captain of the basketball team, Gabriella is a transfer student with an aptitude for science. Rebecca will play the antagonist Sharpay, an arrogant rich girl.

High School Musical is a major revenue generator for Disney; the conglomerate forecasts that consumer products related to the franchise will reach $650 million in sales this year.

The original High School Musical has been seen by more than 250 million viewers worldwide, the sequel by about 187 million.

It was also the first ever Disney Channel Original Movie to be broadcast on the BBC in 2006.

"It's quite an amazing opportunity," Rebecca said. "I don't think it has really hit me yet how big it all is.

"It is incredible that I got the role because I actually almost missed the second audition. They moved it at the last minute and no one notified me.

"I turned up at the original place and a janitor told me it had moved but he wasn't exactly sure where. Luckily I always show up an hour early.

"He gave me the street name, which was on the other side of London, and I had to call all my theatre friends to try and figure out where an audition space would be on that street.

"The tube (train) was a nightmare but I arrived five minutes before my name was called."

But Rebecca isn't letting the success get to her head.

"That's the thing with my line of work," she said. "One minute you have a great role for ten weeks and then when it's over you might not get employed for another three months.

"Now that I have had a chance to study and work in the UK it is really eye opening to see how many talented, unemployed, actors there are."

And she is the first to admit that getting the role has come after years of hard work and dedication.

She obtained a Bachelor's in Musical Theatre and English from Indiana University and then went on to obtain a Masters in Musical Theatre from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.

Prior to going on auditions for High School Musical she was part of the ensemble in "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" production at the West Yorkshire Playhouse.

As for any advice she would give to aspiring thespians: "It takes a lot of work and commitment, there are times when I would like to go out with friends but I can't because I need to preserve my voice.

"And I've learned there are hundreds of ways to cook vegetables because you don't earn a lot of money and you don't know where your next pay cheque is coming.

"Unlike Bermuda vegetables are cheap there so that's what I eat a lot of the time.

"You have to really want it for it to be worthwhile, it is not as glamorous as it looks in Hollywood."

The show will play from June 30th 2008 until August 10th 2008 and tickets are selling fast.

To purchase them go to http://www.hammersmithapollo.net.