Amelia gets role call of a lifetime in Rome

Foyle Speech and Drama and Ebrington P.S. student Alemia Doherty with renowned Irish actor John Lynch in Rome.

A 10-years-old Derry girl was given the chance of a lifetime recently when she was the only child granted a place in an acting masterclass with a renowned Irish actor in Rome.

Amelia Doherty was the youngest participant in the masterclass taught by actor John Lynch during the Rome Irish Film Festival.

The Foyle Speech and Drama student was at the festival for the Italian premiere of the short film ‘Don’t be Afraid’, made in Derry and directed by Mark Mc Cauley, and in which she had a role. She applied to get on the course and couldn’t believe it when she was accepted as the only child participant.

During her visit, Amelia, who is a Primary 6 student at Ebrington Primary School, got the opportunity to converse and act with actors from the international stage under the guidance of John Lynch.

Young Amelia Doherty pictured with John Lynch during the masterclass in Rome.

The acclaimed actor won the AFI Award for Best Actor for the 1995 film ‘Angel Baby.’ His other film appearances include ‘Cal’, ‘The Secret Garden’, ‘In the Name of the Father’ and ‘Sliding Doors’. He has also written two novels, ‘Torn Water’ and ‘Falling Out of Heaven’.

Amelia was awarded certification for her success at the Masterclass and formed a great bond with her tutor. “I really loved it and the other actors and John were so kind to me,” she said. “I learned so much from the experience and got to role play and perform. It was an amazing experience and I am so grateful to the Festival organisers for their support. It really helped my confidence and I was made to feel so welcome. I love acting and using my imagination. John encouraged me to do that more than ever,” she said.