KING'S School pupil Mary Cox has overcome stiff opposition from about 200 other applicants to win one of only two sixth form scholarships to the prestigious Arts Educational School in Tring, Hertfordshire.

Mary, who lives in Kempsey and is a member of Worcester Operatic and Dramatic Society Youth Section (WODYS), has been offered a place on the musical theatre course, achieving the first step in her ambition to make a career in musicals.

She is currently rehearsing the lead part of Sarah Brown in WODYS' production of Guys And Dolls, being staged at the Swan Theatre, Worcester, from Tuesday, August 1, to Saturday, August 5.

She can also be seen on stage from Thursday, August 17, to Saturday, August 19, in The Humphrey And Renshaw Comedy Sketch Show, a Worcester Festival event.

Mary has been a member of WODYS since 2003, taking roles in Return To The Forbidden Planet and last year's smash hit staging of Les Misérables (School Edition).

She has had singing lessons with Claire Prewer-Jenkinson of Worcester and took her first examination in 2005, skipping the lower grades to gain outstanding marks in a grade 8 music theatre exam.She also plays clarinet, piano and violin.

Her aim is to perform lead roles in West End musicals and maybe one day on Broadway. Gaining a place at the Arts Educational School has made her more determined than ever to succeed.

She said: "'I love performing and am thrilled to have been given this wonderful opportunity. I know it is going to be challenging but it is what I have wanted to do for a long time."