When Gilli Jones sets off for his summer break this year, he won’t just be taking a well-earned rest – he’ll be making his professional debut.

The second-year Musical Theatre student at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS) will take to the stage in Brigadoon, the Lerner and Loewe musical, which returns to London for the first time in 35 years.

Directed and choreographed by Drew McOnie, the musical will run at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, offering Gilli the chance to perform in one of the city’s most iconic venues.

The show also features the creative talents of set designer Basia Bińkowska, BA Production Arts and Design graduate, and former Linbury Prize winner.

Gilli’s role as Charlie Dalrymple marks the start of an exciting new chapter in his career, with rehearsals beginning in June ahead of the production’s opening in August.

We caught up with Gilli to hear about his journey so far and what he’s most looking forward to in his debut season.

You’ll make your professional debut this summer – how are you feeling?

I’m so excited, I can’t wait! I’d seen the rave reviews of Fiddler on the Roof at Regent’s Park which I loved, from the choreo and the costumes to the authenticity of the characters. And the venue, being open air Is such a unique experience in the west end.

I’m playing the character of Charlie Dalrymple in Brigadoon and will head to London at the end of June for around for rehearsals and previews, before the show opens on 2 August for a six-week run.

A special sneak peek of the musical was staged at London’s famous Palladium Theatre, where you performed Come to Me, Bend to Me in an exclusive first performance.  What was it like to perform on such an iconic stage?

It was incredibly daunting, but I was so pleased that Drew trusted me with the performance. I’m pleased with how it went, especially with all the nerves! I was on at the end of the night so had waited for around three-and-a-half hours. I had composed myself and then Andrew Lloyd Webber walked past after receiving an award and said, ‘good luck’. My heart was racing!

Everyone was so friendly and supportive, and I got to meet a couple of the cast members, which was nice, and it was great to talk to Drew, who’s directing, choreographing and overseeing everything, he’s such an amazing creative and it was great talking about his vision of the character and the musical.

Tell us about other performance experiences?

I did Les Misérables Schools Edition in 2023, as part of the Fringe. It was directed by Sam Hiller, the associate director of the West End show, which was really cool. I learned so much, and it gave me confidence going into first year of RCS.

I was in a play called Club Life at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, my first dancing show.

What made you want to study at RCS?

I played the piano sang classically through school and in my final year, I decided to do drama and found that I really liked acting. I was cast in Guys and Dolls, which was our sixth-year show, and loved it.

Before I joined the Musical Theatre programme in 2023, I did some short courses in acting and musical theatre at RCS over the summer and decided that musicals would be my best way into the industry.

What are you enjoying about your studies?

I like the range of skills and how everything integrates – how your dancing is connected to your singing, your acting and how you play your instrument. It feels that now in second year, everything is starting to click into place.

In first year, everyone was getting to know each other and getting to grips with the training but now, we’re getting on with the work in a really supportive environment.