West End role for Jack

LEADING role . . . Jack Monaghan.

AN Oldham actor has landed a lead role in a prestigious theatre production in London’s West End.

Jack Monaghan (22), a former pupil at Mossley Hollins High School and Oldham Sixth-Form College, will play Albert Narracott in the National Theatre’s production of War Horse.

Now in its fifth year, Nick Stafford’s adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s book has been playing to packed houses at the New London Theatre with the production recently welcoming its millionth visitor.

Set at the outbreak of the First World War, the plot revolves around Joey, young Albert’s beloved horse, who is sold to the cavalry and shipped to France.

But Albert cannot forget Joey and, still not old enough to enlist, he embarks on a treacherous mission to find him and bring him home. The popular production has found fame for its life-size puppets of horses.

Jack graduated from Cambridge University’s Jesus College last summer with a first in Physics, before taking the plunge into professional acting.

The former member of Oldham’s amateur Lyceum Players was a leading performer in their production of Journey’s End in 2007, just before leaving for Cambridge.

He will share the stage with fellow Oldham actress Nicola Stephenson, formerly of Brookside and Holby, who will plays his mother.