THE prospect of appearing live on stage in a professional opera in front of 800 people would faze even the most experienced of amateur actors.
But, for one eight-year-old boy who has already graced the stage of the Dorking Halls on more than one occasion, the whole thing is just like water off a duck's back.
Ethan Baynes takes on the role of Trouble in next Thursday's staging of Puccini's Madame Butterfly by the Grand Opera of Belarus, having been put forward by Dorking's Applause Youth Theatre Company.
Company director David Walker said it was a tremendous opportunity for the talented youngster to appear alongside professional opera singers and a full orchestra.
"It's very rare for youth theatre members of any age to have opportunities to participate in professional touring productions," he said.
"So when one does come up it's really exciting from our point of view. It's great for all of us.
"The company asked us if we had anybody suitable and we thought he would do a good job. Although he's very young, he was keen to do it and I think he'll fit the bill very well."
Mr Walker's excitement was shared by his directorial partner Morag Stent, who has helped guide Ethan through productions of Annie and Saturday Night At The Movies which brought crowds of between 250 and 500 to Dorking Halls.
She said: "He's a very cute little boy, very quiet, but he does absolutely everything you ask him to do and he has come on leaps and bounds from being very shy.
"I'll be very interested to see him do this."
However, for Ethan – a pupil at Walton on the Hill Primary School who harbours dreams of one day becoming an Olympic athlete – portraying the title character's young son beside heavyweight Russian baritones and sopranos is just another day at the office.
The Tadworth resident told the Advertiser: "They asked me if I wanted to go in this opera thing and I went 'yeah OK'.
"I'm a little bit scared and excited about being in Madame Butterfly, although I don't really know much about it."
Ethan's mother Beverley Prideaux, 46, said it was in her son's nature to take everything in his stride.
"He's no 'Trouble' at all in real life," she said. "He doesn't get fazed by very much at all."
For more information on the Applause Youth Theatre Company, which meets at Dorking Halls each weekend, e-mail info@aytco.co.uk
Madame Butterfly comes to Dorking Halls on Thursday March 7 at 7.30pm.
A small number of tickets, starting at £28, are available on 01306 881717 or from the website at www.dorkinghalls.co.uk
