FIVE Wyre Forest-born showmen are making their mark in the world of musical theatre – and four of them trained with a Kidderminster dance studio.

Two are part of the creative team behind the current UK tour of the hit musical Miss Saigon, a third is appearing in the legendary Evita in the West End, a fourth is performing in Mary Poppins in Germany and a fifth is now artistic director of The Other Palace.

Richard Jones, from Kidderminster and a former member of the town’s Splinters Dance Studio, is UK associate choreographer of Miss Saigon, which is wowing audiences at the Birmingham Hippodrome.

Splinters ‘old boy’, Paul Hutton, who has a long list of musical show credits to his name, is currently on stage in Evita at London’s Phoenix Theatre, while another, Jordan Isaac, has just joined the cast of the Disney musical, Mary Poppins, in Germany.

Paul Taylor Mills trained for a time at Splinters, performing in Limelight Productions and was a member of Kidderminster’s Carpet Trades Musical Theatre Company and the youth section of Kidderminster Operatic and Dramatic Society (KODS).

He is now artistic director of London’s The Other Palace and produced the Olivier award-winning musical In the Heights.

Chris Key, from Bewdley, who attended Bewdley High School, is associate director of Miss Saigon. He also performed with KODS before gaining a degree at Guildford School of Acting.

Splinters director and choreographer Jane Bennett said: “I trained both Pauls, Richard and Jordan when they were youngsters and it’s fabulous to see them doing so well in the business and bringing such joy to thousands of theatre-goers.

“To have five lads emanating from our little neck of the woods enjoying such success in the highly competitive world of musical theatre is astonishing and something worth shouting about.”

Splinters students, past and present, are appearing in Footloose at The Civic, Stourport, next month, along with other invited young talent from the area.

Produced by Limelight Productions, directed and choreographed by Miss Bennett, tickets for the show, which runs between Monday, September 11, to Friday, September 15, cost £12 (concessions £10) with a special rate of £10 for the opening night.

They are available from The Civic box office, Martins Way, open weekdays 10am until 2pm and Saturdays 11am until 1pm. Call 01299 823339.

Tickets can also be booked online at ticketsource.co.uk/limelight (booking fee applies) or direct via Facebook at limelight@limelightkidderminster.