A MAN from Sutton-in-Craven who has never received any professional training has landed a lead role in the tour of award-winning, West End musical, Jersey Boys.

Luke Suri, 28, who attended South Craven School said knew he wanted performer for "as long as he can remember," but never trained professionally because it was "too expensive."

He has now landed his "dream role" and will play Frankie Valli in the hit show, Jersey Boys as it tours across the country.

"I always knew, when I was a kid and I was at primary school, that I wanted to be a pop-star. There was no questioning it. I always knew that I loved singing, I used to watch Hannah Montana and High School Music, I was adamant that it was what I wanted to do. But I've never had a singing lesson, or a dance lesson, I'm completely untrained compared to the rest of the cast," he said.

Luke, is making his 'official theatre debut', as previously, he was working as a performer on cruise ships before Covid hit. He said that "this feels like the next section of his career."

"When Covid hit, everything I'd known was taken away from me so I ended up so I trained to become a vaccinator at Bradford Royal Infirmary for six months, but then I decided to get an agent for the first time."

He said that it was when he posted a video of himself on Twitter, a producer from Manchester saw it, shared it, and an agent picked him up from there.

"Three weeks after getting an agent I had an audition for Jersey Boys and within six weeks of getting that agent I got my first West End tour. This is the dream role that I've always wanted. To play Frankie you have to have an exceptionally strong, full-set voice, and you have to be smaller than five foot nine, so for a male who sounds like a 12-year-old choir boy and you've got to be five foot nine it's the perfect role for me."

He said "I always knew I'd get where I am, there was no question. I think it has been my determination and knowing where I wanted to be that has helped."

Jersey Boys is on tour in the UK until September. Luke says that "there's a couple of shows in London that he's got his eye on" in the future, or he'd like to give TV or film work "a go."