A LOCAL student is celebrating after becoming the youngest writer and director of the popular Chagford pantomime.

Luke Coombe from Chagford, a 17-year-old early years student at Duchy College Stoke Climsland and previously from Okehampton College, has already starred in musicals, serial dramas and pantomimes.

‘I have always been interested in writing from a young age,’ he explained.

‘When I was writing my GCSE drama piece it was really hard hitting and I wanted to look at writing something more comical. I wrote a piece called “happily ever after” and sent it to the organisers of the Chagford pantomime and they loved it.’

‘Happily ever after’ is the story of how stories resolve themselves when problems occur. It follows two characters on their quest to solve everyone’s happy endings. The stories are a mixture of classic pantomimes and fairy tales such as Jack and the Bean Stalk, Mary Had a Little Lamb and Cinderella.

Luke added: ‘It has been a really interesting experience writing the pantomime. 

‘There is a cast of over 50 people and I have been responsible for all the casting. Rehearsals are due to start soon leading to the pantomime going live during February half term week.’

Luke added that he was really enjoying the early years course at Duchy and would ultimately like to combine his experience on the course and his acting to become a drama teacher or become involved in drama therapy.