An 11-year-old boy from Bournemouth will be starring in his second West End show having previously appeared in a Disney movie and a Harry Styles music video.
Oliver Ravelini is set to perform in Elf The Musical after recently showcasing as Christopher Robin in Winnie The Pooh.
He said he is ‘so excited’ to star as Buddy’s brother, Michael Hobbs, in the Christmas show, despite the auditions being ‘really tough’.
“I love to perform and to be on stage and I’m super excited to start rehearsals next week,” said Oliver.
“Christmas has come early in our house.”
Oliver has been performing in professional theatre, films, and advertisements after being scouted by an agent at just five years old.
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Jamie-Lee Tuffrey, Oliver’s mother and founder of Jamie Lee Dance Academy said the whole family shares a love for musical theatre.
“He was born into a musical family, my parents are both performers and my husband's a musical director, so he's just sort of been born into it,” said Jamie-Lee.
“He's attended all the dance classes and theatre classes at my school since he was old enough to and then he was just really good at it.”
Jamie-Lee said that Oliver has had big breaks in the film industry, including starring in the latest Disney adaption of The Little Mermaid, but now he wants to focus on musical theatre.
“Halle Bailey [who plays Ariel] was so fond of him and Harry Styles sent him a handwritten letter with signed autographs after being in his music video.
“I’m a massive One Direction fan so I was blown away.”
She added that there is a lot of rejection in the musical theatre industry, but that Oliver is resilient and takes everything in his stride.
“Me and my husband are really both very proud, but we have always wanted to make sure Oliver stays grounded and always wants to do it.
“It’s a tough industry and we have always said if you don’t want to do it, you don’t have to but keeps saying ‘no I’m doing it’.”
Despite Oliver’s huge success, he is open-minded to his future, saying he either wants to study musical theatre in London or become a basketball player.
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