Your am dram star of the week is Zak Hayes, who’s appearing in Birmingham Youth Theatre’s production of Back to the 80’s

This group has been delighting local audiences with performances from their talented young stars for just over 30 years now.

Zak, a pupil at Wordsley School, is also a singer/songwriter and is playing the role of Michael Feldman in this nostalgic trip for adults and fun packed adventure for youngsters.

I ask Zak how he feels when he is on stage and he told me ‘excited, a little anxious, thrilled to have the opportunity but also, he loves to see the audience enjoying themselves’.

So far Zak has only performed musical theatre but is also keen to expand his theatrical experience and take on straight roles in the future.

“I am always singing and have vocal training to better myself,” says Zak. “I hadn’t done much acting and dancing when I joined Birmingham Youth Theatre, but they help you and encourage you to do your best.”

I ask Zak to describe his character Michael to me. “He is adored by the girls and envied by the boys. He is sweet but can a bully too.”

“I like him because he has two sides. I auditioned for the part because I am big fan of the song Footloose, which I get to sing and also Get Outta My Car and Into My Dreams. I also like the character because it is the complete opposite of the last role I played for Birmingham Youth Theatre, which was Aladdin in their award-winning pantomime,” Zak says.

The score of Back to the ‘80s is just flooded with classic tunes including Wake Me Up Before You Go Go, Let’s Hear it for the Boy, Man in the Mirror, Dancing on the Ceiling, Never Gonna Give You Up and The Time of My Life to name but a few.

The storyline is typically juke-box musical style; boy is in love with girl, but she is in love with someone else, then there’s a party, you know the sort of thing and yet it is still highly entertaining and guaranteed to bring back many happy memories of the era.

Similarly, the characters are instantly recognisable and split into the Cool Guys, the Popular Girls, the Nerds and Outcasts and the Regular Kids. Sounds like every school all over the world!

What about those 80 fashions though?

“I don’t mind wearing the ‘80’s fashions in the show,” says Zak. “It allows me to live in a decade I was not around in and its totally different to what I would wear every day.”

l For tickets call 07588764370, email contact@birminghamyouththeatre.co.uk or visit www.birminghamyouththeatre.co.uk