A former pupil at Ysgol Penweddig in Aberystwyth has gained admission to the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA).

Gruffydd Rhys Evans, 19, is the only Welsh student to secure a place at the academy this year.

The world-renowned RADA accepts up to 28 new students each year for its three-year BA (Hons) Acting course.

Entry to RADA is fiercely contested by would-be actors of all age groups. Admission is based on a four-stage intensive audition process, spanning several months. This year around 4,500 applicants from all over the world attended auditions, in person or on Zoom.

Gruffydd, a fluent Welsh speaker who lives in Capel Bangor, attended a six-month foundation course at the Oxford School of Drama before he applied for RADA.

This week he was informed that he has won a bursary from Swansea University to study acting at London’s famous academy.

Among the many Welsh RADA alumni are Sir Anthony Hopkins, Michael Sheen, Jonathan Pryce, Taron Egerton, Ioan Gruffydd and Matthew Rhys.