Our Alumni Spotlight for January is shone on Laura May Croucher
Laura left WHS in 2015, but her love for performing was already firmly centre stage. Her favourite subjects were Drama, PE and Textiles, and she spent countless hours with her friends in the music block – making up choreographies, singing together, and experimenting with harmonies. One of her favourite memories from school was taking part in the annual school musicals, especially playing the Cat in the Hat in Seussical the Musical in Year 9.
After completing her GCSEs, Laura chose a vocational route, training in Professional Dance and Musical Theatre Singing. From 2015–2018, she studied at The Hammond School, where she completed a Level 6 Diploma in Professional Dance. The training was intense, but it prepared her for the professional world she had dreamed of since she was five years old.
Straight after graduating, Laura flew to Hamburg, Germany, to begin her first professional contract as an ensemble member in Mary Poppins – Das Musical (2018–2019). From there, she went on to perform as Rote Stiefel Soloist/Ensemble in Tanz der Vampire in Oberhausen and Stuttgart (2019–2022), before joining the ensemble of Mamma Mia! – Das Musical in Hamburg (2022–2023).
Since 2024, Laura has been performing in Vienna, Austria, playing the role of Meg Giry in Das Phantom der Oper. This role has been a lifelong dream, combining ballet and pointe work with singing, and allowing her to create her own interpretation of the character. Performing with a live orchestra for audiences of up to 1,200 people each night is something she describes as incredibly special and rewarding.
Laura’s message to current students is simple but powerful:
“If there’s one thing I wish I’d known when I was sitting where you are now, it’s that you don’t have to have everything worked out. Ten years ago, I couldn’t have predicted the path that led me to performing in Phantom of the Opera. What I did know was that I had a dream, and that I wanted to do everything I could to achieve it.
Even when things felt hard – when the training was challenging, or the pressures of school felt overwhelming – I tried to hold on to the joy I felt when I was doing the thing I loved. That joy reminded me why I started. Find what you truly enjoy and pursue it, even if it isn’t the most conventional path. Trust that passion and hard work can take you further than you ever imagine.”
