She's been acting since she could talk, and now Wymondham's Caitlin Ellis will get to tread the boards with some of the best in the business.

Caitlin, 13, has been chosen for a two-week National Youth Theatre (NYT) programme, to take place in London in August.

She will then have the chance to audition for NYT productions.

The Wymondham High School Year 9 student said she was shocked and delighted about the opportunity.

She said: 'I didn't expect to get in first time as it is really tough to get into the NYT.

'I cannot wait to get to London to start the training and try to get into some of the productions and plays.'

Caitlin will be among the youngest in the programme, which is designed for 14 to 26-year-olds.

She said she has been acting for as long as she could remember.

Caitlin said: 'I think it was from as early as I could talk.

'I was in my first production when I was five years old with the Norwich Young People's Theatre. I was in a full-scale production of Annie when I was six.'

Caitlin was also in a production of Little Sweep at the Norwich Playhouse in 2013.

She said: 'I like being able to get into different character roles and play different people in lots of different situations.

'I would definitely recommend it to everyone as it does help to give people confidence and helps with being able to communicate better.'

Caitlin said Jennifer Lawrence and Matt Smith as among her favourite actors.

She said she admired Smith because: 'Not only because he is a good actor, but like me he has had to overcome a back problem and he didn't let it stop him.'

Her dad, Kevin Ellis, said he and his wife Kathy were 'immensely proud' of Caitlin's achievement.

He said: 'Obviously we believed she was good enough to audition, and we hoped she would achieve her goal, however I don't think any of us expected her to get in at the first time of asking, and we were all pleasantly surprised when we got the call to say she had been successful. It is a testament to how hard she has worked in her drama classes at school and also practising lots of monologues at home'.