The organiser of Stone’s Alleyne’s Academy’s annual talent show was all set to cancel the evening’s proceedings, due to their sound system failing with only hours to go before the event was due to start.
Twelve talented artists were waiting in the wings, all poised to break a leg and step into the limelight to sing and dance and beam and dazzle, and prove to the assembled judges comprising Stoke-born Pete Conway (Robbie Williams’s dad), actress and comedienne Paula Williamson (fresh from her tour supporting Paddy McGuinness), seasoned entertainer and Cardiff-based cruise ship entertainer Mark Porter, and the school’s Chair of Governors John Lockley. they each had the ‘X Factor’, when it appeared disaster had struck.
Naturally, both students and staff were distraught at the prospect of cancelling the contest, but thanks to the generosity of Staffordshire based KDM Events who provided a first class PA sound system free of charge within a record 20 minutes of being contacted, the show DID go on! Hurrah!
With curtain up fast approaching, Paul Marsh, organiser of the popular ‘Alleyne’s Has Talent’, was fearful there would be no option but to bring the extravaganza to a halt, but after speaking to Kevin at KDM he was assured that the show would indeed go on and that the audience (which packed the school’s Millennium Theatre) would still be able to enjoy a night of top quality entertainment.
The competition was won by 17-year-old musician Lewis Wheeler from Stone (pictured) for his house Bennett.
“I can’t believe that after being at Alleyne’s for all this time I have finally won the talent show in my final year here,” said Lewis.
Proceeds from the event are being donated to both The Royal British Legion and The Teenage Cancer Trust (in memory of Stephen Sutton who delivered one of his inspirational speeches to the students of Alleyne’s shortly before his tragic untimely death from cancer earlier this year.
