WEST End stardom is beckoning stage actor Mike Shearer of Wool after he landed the lead role in the London premiere of an off-Broadway musical.

The former Weymouth College drama student is playing the title role of Zanna in the quirky production Zanna Don’t, which focuses on teenage relationships in a topsy-turvy world.

The show has been selling out during its off-West End run and Mike hopes the show will soon make the big leap to the West End – taking him with it.

Mike, 23, first began acting with an amateur dramatics society in Winfrith at the age of 14 and later studied drama at Weymouth College.

Mike moved to London aged 17, eventually graduating from the Mount View Academy of Theatre Arts, and has lived there since.

He said he is thrilled to be taking part in a show that has the potential to become a West End hit.

Mike said: “I had just reached the stage where I had promised myself that I would not do any more performing for free, when this role came up.

“The show’s been doing really well in the fringe theatres and began selling out pretty much straight away – which is unheard of.

“After this latest run there’s a good chance it could be picked up for the West End and everybody in the show is very excited.”

Mike said Zanna Don’t focuses on a group of teenagers living in a ‘back-to-front’ world in which the school chess champion is the coolest kid in school while the American football team captain is treated like a loser.

Mike said: “The other side of the show is that homosexuality is the norm and heterosexuality is totally taboo.

“So, when a girl and a boy fall in love, my character acts as a kind of matchmaker to them.

“It’s not a ‘hetero bashing’ play – the sexuality issues in it are more by-the-by.

“If anything, it’s more like a twisted Grease.”

Mike was born to an army family in Germany but moved to Wool with the rest of his family aged 18 months.

He first acted aged 14 in a Christmas pantomime with the Winfrith Drama Group and later in Swanage Youth and Musical Theatre’s production of Les Miserables.

Mike later completed a BTEC National Diploma in drama at Weymouth College.

While studying there, he raised around £800 for the performing arts department by putting on a show, before making the move to London.