IT’S A long way from the stage at Croesyceiliog Comprehensive School to the West End, but one local lad made the leap.

Benjamin Brook, 24, counts himself lucky to be in the small percentage of actors able to make a living from their work.

He recently starred in a Swedish comedy horror film, American Burger, which screened at Cannes Film Festival as well as cinemas across Europe, and was part of the original West End cast of The Book Of Mormon.

Mr Brook, a former member of Cwmbran Youth Theatre, said he takes time out from the glitz and glamour to come back to Cwmbran, where his dad is landlord of the Dorallt Inn.

“My goal is to keep experiencing new things as an actor and to maintain what I have been so lucky to have in my career – success and constant employment. They are pretty rare, so I feel very grateful.”

He added: “I love Cwmbran and want to put its name firmly on the map!”

While he performed in the role of founder Joseph Smith for the Book of Mormon, the show won a What’s On stage award, and four Olivier awards.

Fans of American Burger, in which he played an ‘all-American nerd’, running for his life through woods after a cultural trip goes horribly wrong, can expect a sequel, Mr Brook said.

Other career highlights include performing alongside Judi Dench at the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall, playing Romeo in a National Theatre Wales production, and; playing the role of Aladdin in the Theatre Royal Wakefield.