A TEN-year-old girl will soon be performing in front of her home audience after touring the country in the hit musical Annie.

Honey-Rose Quinn, from Eastwood, is playing Molly at theatres across the UK and will be performing at Cliffs Pavilion, Westcliff from May 27.

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Star - Honey-Rose Quinn

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In character - Honey-Rose as Molly

The Heycroft Primary School pupil bagged herself the part after a gruelling three-part audition process in London, against more than a thousand hopefuls.

Honey-Rose’s dad, Aaron Quinn, said: “Honey-Rose has been doing performing arts since the age of about five.

“When my wife, Marisa, found out Honey-Rose had got the part, we videoed the announcement in the Simon Cowell way as if she hadn’t got it.

“She was overwhelmed to learn she’d got the part and was in tears.

“She has been to a lot of auditions in the past where she’s fallen at the last hurdle - she was the last reserve for Matilda.

“But she has persevered and been so resilient, she’s finally got her big break and this will be her first ever touring show.

“She is currently touring around the country. She is in Wales at the moment.

“We went to see her first show in Manchester - my wife and I raced up there after work and we shed some tears when she came out on stage.

“It’s just lovely to see her doing what she loves doing.”

The young starlet and her co-stars have been rehearsing hard during the Christmas period and have been touring since February.

She is away on tour three times-a-week and then comes back for a week.

Mr Quinn says that although it is a demanding and intense industry, Honey-Rose loves what she is doing and gets home tuition while she is on tour.

Mr Quinn, a sports lecturer at South Essex College, added: “Honey-Rose is really excited about performing in Southend and to show all her cast mates her hometown.

“Her school has also bought around 50 tickets to go and watch the show.”

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Destined for big things - Honey-Rose Quinn

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Performer - Craig Revel Horwood as Miss Hannigan