Nairn stage star’s dramatic comeback as actress Kayleigh Redford returns to her home town after running her own successful theatre school in Newcastle
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A successful actress and singer has returned to her home town to take up a new challenge.
Kayleigh Redford began treading the boards with Nairn Drama Club at the Little Theatre before going on to run her own successful theatre school in Newcastle.
The 33-year-old mum-of-two and husband Dale have recently moved back north where she is taking on a new role as an assistant director with Inverness-based TFX Performing Arts Academy, where she was also once a student.
“As a child and young adult, I was involved in singing, dance and drama with Nairn Academy, The Little Theatre, Mellow Yellow and TFX Performing Arts,” she said.
“During our time in England, Dale worked offshore then, when we adopted two children, he needed to be nearer home, so he secured a job with United Utilities and we were based in Carlisle.”
In 2016, while there, she secured the lead role in the Carlisle Sands Centre pantomime, Snow White, where she starred alongside Maureen Nolan, of Nolan Sisters fame.
Her theatre school also grew quickly and in just four years had almost 250 students.
“We performed at the O2 Arena and HM Theatre in London and we held workshops with celebrities like Kerry Ellis and Ashley Banjo,” Kayleigh said.
“We’ve enjoyed our time in England, but felt as the children, Jensen (7) and Belle (3), are now getting older it was the right time to move back home to Nairn where we have a support network of family and friends.
“It was great to land a post as an assistant director at TFX, and Dale too has secured work, so we are settling in well.
“TFX helped me so much as a child and it’s amazing to come back and help them develop emerging young talent here in the Highlands.
TFX recently celebrated its 20th anniversary, working on through Zoom during lockdown.
It has created a new free initiative under the title Feel Good Feb.
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