A DRAMA school in Bury celebrated 25 years of producing screen stars of the future with an outdoor talent show.

Carol Godby Theatre Workshop opened in 1991 and has since been the springboard to success for many North West actors and performers – and to celebrate the quarter-century it hosted an X Factor-style contest in The Rock.

It was the final stage of the competition, into which hundreds of people entered by submitting video entries.

Ten of the best entries were invited to perform at the live final in front of a celebrity judging panel of Jazmine Franks — who plays Esther Bloom in Hollyoaks, Elle Mulvaney —Coronation Street’s Amy Barlow — and Mrs Godby herself.

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The crowds gathered in the square at The Rock in front of Costa to see actors, singers and dancers aged three to 21 strut their stuff on the temporary stage.

Eighteen-year-old monologue actor Jacob Talbot was crowned as the winner, while four-year-old Bobby Bradshaw came second, with Natalia Jacques, aged 13, in third place.

Mrs Godby said she was overwhelmed by the response from the talent search.

She added: “I wanted to do this competition to give young talented people a platform to showcase their talent.

“Choosing a winner was a really tough decision which is why we give prizes to all three finalists.

“Thank you so much to everyone who entered, we have been so fortunate to have found amazing talent over the years — many of which are household names.

“I wanted to do this competition to give young and talented people a platform to showcase their talent.”

Carol Godby Theatre Workshop, which was started in Whitefield by Mrs Godby as a small class, has played an instrumental part in launching the careers of numerous well-known faces from the world of television, theatre and film today.

Success stories who have been coached at the theatre group include Ralf Little, Helen Flanagan and Jennie McAlpine.

Mrs Godby added: “Over the years, I have nurtured so much talent and we are so excited to find even more.

“We are so excited to bring on the next 25 years.”