Dominic will be our prince on the Chichester Festival Theatre stage

Written by Philip Wilson, with music by Jason Carr and directed by Jon Pashley, the show runs from December 17-31.

“I'm very happy with the role but it is a big role to play!” says Dominic, aged 16. “It's a real honour to play such a major role in such a wonderful story but it's quite a complex role. We have been looking at the character in detail and how he is expected to be by the people around him and how he is expected to be a one-dimensional kind of Prince but he really doesn't want to fit into that category. He doesn't want to just look for his true bride. He tries to hide away from that role. And also he is quite a flawed character. He doesn't understand other people all the time or the signs that he's getting from other people. He often thinks he must get what he wants. He doesn't always understand the boundaries. He has to learn, and I would say that he does learn a lesson. But he is likeable. But he's got a bit of a labrador appeal to him. He doesn't always get things right but the good intentions are there. It is just that he can be a bit clumsy.”

Key to the role obviously is his relationship with Cinderella: “They have very opposite upbringings and there are difficulties in how they interact but they are definitely similar and then do share grief.”

Inevitably there is pressure with the role “especially as you are trying to bring new ideas to the character and trying to bring 100 per cent energy every day and trying to find new ways to express the emotion,” says Dominic who lives in Bognor and is currently doing an acting diploma at Northbrook.

“This is my fourth Christmas show with the youth theatre. I started with Pinocchio during lockdown, the first Pinocchio that we got only halfway through. That was a wonderful experience. I remember being a new person in the theatre and being embraced and being loved by this cast of really wonderful people. I had hopes that we would be able to complete the run. I thought we've got this far.”

But then suddenly lockdown tightened: “But when we had to stop, I still thought that we had done well and it was a wonderful experience. I knew reading the news that things were closing down but for us doing the show was a great way of keeping busy and having something to focus on.”

Dominic returned when Pinocchio was staged again the following year and then did The Wind In The Willows.

Acting is where he hopes his career will lie: “I love the theatre. Chichester Festival Theatre was my doorway into performing on the stage. I had only ever done school shows before. I just love character and I love looking at character. I'm always absolutely terrified but there is so much joy once you've done it. It is wonderfully scary time!”