STAR-struck youngsters who fancy a life treading the boards are invited to sign up for a new theatre school.

Organisers Janet Parkinson and Andrew Husband, have run a series of theatre workshops in the Pendle area in the past 12 months under the name Xcell Theatre Arts, aimed at young people from the age of seven upwards and included dancing, singing and drama.

But now the couple have decided to open a permanent theatre school and offer three one-hour classes in dance, singing and drama on Saturday mornings.

They were due to open for the first time today.

Janet, of Chapel Street, Nelson, said: "We are delighted to be able to provide a base for young people to learn social skills and gain confidence.

"We will be doing all kinds of dance, including modern, jazz, ballet and theatre dance for anybody from the age of seven upwards."

Janet, who is currently in rehearsals for Little Voice at the Oldham Coliseum, is looking forward to providing a different outlook for youngsters.

She said: "Our aim is not to be a cheesy theatre group, we want it to be more than that.

"The ethos of the school is to provide an enjoyable experience while the students learn and develop new skills."

There will be three age classes, seven to nine, 10 to 12 and 13-plus.