After making waves at the Junior Theatre Festival Europe in Birmingham, three incredibly talented students from Hoi Polloi Academy have received the opportunity of a lifetime: they’ve been selected to join the JTF International All-Stars Programme 2026 in New York City!

Emily Georgea Dimech, Erika Bonello, and Laura Cardona impressed both judges and audiences during their performance of Shrek JR., which also earned the team the coveted Achievement in Dance Award. Their standout talent didn’t go unnoticed – all three were nominated and successfully auditioned for this prestigious international programme.

Come January 2026, the trio will travel to NYC to work with Broadway professionals from iTheatrics, rehearsing a brand-new musical theatre piece alongside top students from around the world.

Through MTI’s Travel Gang programme, they’ll collaborate with international performers as a united ensemble, take part in Broadway workshops and masterclasses and watch live Broadway shows – a dream come true for any theatre lover! Finally, they’ll get to perform on the main stage at JTF Atlanta, the largest youth musical theatre festival in the world.

Well done to the three young thespians!