A BUDDING musical theatre star is appealing for help to ensure he can finally take up a place on the course of his dreams.

Jackie-Ross Lavender, 19, has been accepted on the three-year degree in musical theatre at The Arts Educational School for the last three years, but hasn’t ever been able to afford the fees.

This year, he was offered a place at the Royal Academy of Music on the prestigious one-year postgraduate course, and is desperate to make sure he is able to accept.

The enterprising West Moors teenager, who has performed in productions with musical theatre societies in Wimborne and Ferndown, hosted An Evening with Jackie-Ross Lavender and Guests last June, which failed to raise enough money despite being a sell-out.

On March 30, he is hoping to go one better with The Songs of My Life: An Evening with Jackie-Ross Lavender and Guests at the Barrington Centre, a two-part concert that will pay homage to his favourite stars.

He said: “The course for the year 2013/14 is £13,800 with no forms of scholarship or a bursary available from the academy. I can afford to pay for the bulk of the tuition fees with a career development loan, but you have to pay a course deposit in the spring of 25 per cent of the course fees, which is £3,450.”

Jackie-Ross is a former QE School pupil, and his mum Keran is a dancer.

He first got the showbiz bug aged just 13, and has been striving for success since, taking on the roles of Billy Lawlor in 42nd Street and Caleb in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers in local performances.

He said his latest concert will include performances of hit records by Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, John Mayer, Randy Newman and Michael Jackson.

“We are performing not just one or two shows, but three,” he said.

“The shows will be at 1pm, 5pm and 8pm. We have a fantastic cast of eight young local singers helping take the show to new heights, and songs will be performed with a five-piece band.”

Tickets for the show are £10, available at ticketsource.co.uk/jackrossmusic