THE SKY'S the limit for one Okehampton College student as she prepares for the debut performance of her theatre company, writes Claire Hallett.

Keen drama student Shivani Price, 17, who is studying for her A-levels, set up theatre company BadlyKeptSecret six months ago. The company's first work will be performed at Tavistock's Wharf arts centre next month.

Shivani, who lives in Hatherleigh, hopes to continue with drama when she leaves school.

She said having hands-on experience with drama was what really made the difference.

'It's very difficult to learn drama, it is something that is best developed actually doing it.

'I set up BadlyKeptSecret because I love drama and doing it has allowed me to get heaps of experience and build confidence.

'Before this I produced two amateur productions with a company called Little Goats, the name was because we were all under 16 at the time.'

Shivani said that after a while she felt she had taken the company as far as it could go: 'I wanted to move on to something more professional and which will ultimately help me move forward in the future and give me as much experience as possible.

'BadlyKeptSecret presents the bigger challenge of creating a semi-professional piece of theatre.'

The company will be performing for the first time, with an original adaptation of the 1930s Spanish dramatist Federico Garcia Lorca's 'La Casa de Bernarda Alba'.

The play explores themes of repression, passion, and conformity, and inspects the effects of men upon women. It shows the lives of a tyrannical mother, her five daughters, her insane mother and the household cleaner.

The thriving new theatre production company has created an original performance, which aims to add a modern twist to the original story.

The play will be performed at the Wharf in Tavistock on Saturday, July 4 at 7.30pm and Sunday, July 5.

For more information and tickets phone the Wharf box office on 01822 611166.

BadlyKeptSecret can be contacted by writing to: BadlyKeptSecret Theatre, 41 Bridge Street, Hatherleigh, Devon. EX20 3HZ or email: [email protected]">[email protected]