n aspiring young actor who took the stage last night in a murder mystery urges his peers to open their minds to the world of theatre.Rajai Denbrook, a 16 year-old Warwick Academy student, has two small roles in the upcoming play “Drood” and told The Royal Gazette that more young people should pursue different avenues of entertainment, such as theatre.

He said: “As young people we need to start getting into different things.

“There’s a lot more to our trivial Bermudian adolescent existence. There’s so much more out there that the world has to offer. We really need to tap into that, live life to the fullest and venture out into all areas,” he continued.

Rajai began acting in his first play at the age of six and has since been in local productions, such as the Road Show <$>and How to Succeed in Business without really trying.>

In the current production of Drood, Rajai plays the roles of both James Pierrepont Finch and Deputy, a character intended to bring “comic relief” to the stage.

Becoming these two characters was fun for Rajai who admits that he is similar to them. He said: “We are all teenagers, we are all full of life, opinionated. We are not all that different from each other.”

The family play is based on an unfinished novel by Charles Dickens called “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” and allows the audience to choose how the play ends each night, explained Producer Jo Shane.

When asked about Rajai’s performance in the play, Ms Shane said: “We were so impressed with him when he auditioned. When he sang his songs — there was no contest.”

“What I like about him is that you can’t take your eyes off him because he is always acting, always in character. I think he has a great future ahead of him,” she added.

Though Rajai admits he is the youngest person in the cast, he describes them all as “supportive, friendly and helpful”. At times the age gap does “make it really awkward” for at the end of the play the audience have to choose two lovers from the cast. “I am the youngest and the shortest,” he said, with a laugh.

Like many other children, Rajai simply thought acting was a fun pastime, however, as he has grown and started to research theatre he has found how deep and complex it can be.

In the future, he plans to pursue acting as a career and hopes to attend a prestigious performing arts school like Juilliard or RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art).

For the time being, Rajai must balance his school commitments with the play and said: “if I want to do this as a career then certain things have to take priority. It’s really a juggling act”.

He is also taking theatre art classes at Warwick Academy, which he fared well in. He said: “Since I am so passionate I just put all my energy in everything I do. Besides that the teachers are so supportive.”

When asked why he enjoys theatre so much, he replied: “it’s real. You are there and you’re seeing it. It is not about getting more takes. You have to really be an actor to act in theatre — that’s what I love about it.

“Not to sound conceited, but for me it’s not just acting. Theatre is a lot more than going on stage and saying a few lines. It’s an art form”.

While the thought of memorising lines may seem daunting, Rajai says its one of his favourite parts of the experience. “I love memorising lines. When you read a script, you kind of fall into a world, you get to get into that character, see how they move, their mannerisms. You have to think outside the box,” he said.

Getting into the character is one of the most challenging parts of the process, according to the aspiring actor, in addition to understanding and maintaining the role.

Rajai admits he is a bit of a perfectionist though: “I want to get everything right and feel like I am doing everything right. I am really meticulous about it,” he said.

Rajai offers his advice to those serious about pursuing acting and said: “If it is your passion and you feel it right down deep in your gut — do it. Just know that it is not going to be easy”.

For any teens interested in seeing Rajai and the rest of the cast in the production of “Drood”, performances are running at the Daylesford Theatre. They started last night and run until May 12, including a matinee show running on Saturdays at 3 p.m. Tickets for the show are $35.