Stow College

A group of Stow College performing arts students are set to ‘Shine’ after securing three nights on stage with Britain’s biggest boy band, Take That, during their three-date stint at Hampden Park in Glasgow.

Twenty students from Stow College’s prestigious performing arts course will take to the stage alongside global chart toppers Gary Barlow, Mark Owen, Howard Donald, Jason Orange and, of course, returning member Robbie Williams who will make his first appearance in Scotland with the band since rejoining at the end of last year.

Dressed in riot gear, complete with truncheons and shields, the students will join Take That in performing their single ‘Kidz’ – watched by more than 150,000 fans as part of one of the biggest tour’s ever to be staged in the UK.

One of the students, Lauren O’Hare, joined the hundreds of thousands of Scottish fans who jammed phone lines when ticket sales opened at the end of last year. However, despite being devastated when she failed to bag herself a ticket, Lauren is now thanking her lucky stars that she will get to see her idols up close instead.

“I had gone to the last concert in Glasgow but I was gutted I couldn’t get tickets for next week”, said Lauren. “This is an amazing experience, performing in front of 65,000 people is something I doubt I will never be able to experience again – and I’m going to be able to watch some of the concert from backstage.”

Lauren studied HND Musical Theatre at the college and has since gone on the study for an honours degree in performance at the University of the West of Scotland. Other students performing at the concert range in experience from NQ to HND and Degree level.

Lauren added: “We were all pretty much in shock when we found out. We’re not sure if we’re going to meet the band yet but it would be cool if they came down to meet us during rehearsals.”

“I’ve only told a couple of close friends so far but I told a couple of close friends that are going to the concert. They were shocked and jealous that I’m going to be up there with the band on stage. None of us from the college has done anything like this before and like all performers, I can’t wait to get up on stage in front of the 65,000.”

Hazel Cumming, 18, from Galston, studies HND Musical Theatre at the college and was also selected, said: “I’m very excited – as well as being an amazing experience, it’s something extra for the CV, that I can say that I’ve been on stage with Take That.

“The course at Stow College is great, we’re a really close knit group and it has given me a really good opportunity to get some experience. Everyone is really excited and I’m sure they would agree with me that this is something we’ve always wanted to do, it’s an amazing chance; and I think we’re going to get to meet the band.”