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The Formby School Play That Sparked Lesley Sharp’s Acting Career
- Formby Bubble
- 4 minutes ago
- 1 min read
There was a lovely moment on BBC 6 Music recently when acclaimed actress Lesley Sharp looked back to where it all began — right here in Formby, at Redgate Primary School.
Speaking with Nick Grimshaw on Music Talk, Lesley shared the childhood memory that first sparked her love of acting. Asked when she realised this was the path for her, Lesley didn’t hesitate.
It was at the age of 11, while she was a pupil at Redgate Junior School in Formby, taking part in a school production of The Wind in the Willows.
Her role? A Badger.
“I painted my hands with black and white stripes and spoke in a deep voice,” she recalled, “People seemed to like it — and that was me.”
Nick Grimshaw laughed as he summed it up perfectly: “And you were like, ‘Right, this is it!’”
From that school play in Formby to a hugely respected career across stage and screen — including powerful performances in British television dramas and theatre — it’s a reminder of how those early moments can shape a lifetime.
It’s also a proud moment for Redgate Primary School and for Formby as a whole. Who knows — sitting in a school hall today, painting their hands for a play or nervously saying their first lines, there may well be another future star discovering their passion for the very first time.
✨ Every journey has a beginning — and for Lesley Sharp, it started at Redgate.
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