Spinning the wheel of success: One of our former students stars as Maleficent at Nottingham Playhouse

29-year-old Lara Sas studied Musical Theatre with us from 2012 to 2013 and has since gone on to bolster an incredible career in the industry, including starring in the UK tour of Dear Evan Hansen in 2024, performing in multiple plays and even recently starring in horror films. After landing the villainous role of Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty at Nottingham Playhouse (25^th November 2025 – 17^th January 2026), we caught up with Lara to find out more about their role in the panto, their career and their advice for those looking to enter the world of performance: 

Can you tell us how you felt when you found out you had landed the role of Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty?
It was such a dream come true to be in the Nottingham Playhouse Panto as it’s something I dreamt about since I was a kid and the first thing I did was call my family to let them know the amazing news.  

 What has been the most exciting or challenging part of preparing for this role? Particularly as you're playing a villain? 
I think the most difficult thing was the amount of pressure I put on myself because it was such a dream of mine, I really wanted to do a good job but as soon as I walked into rehearsals, the company and environment was so fun, creative and relaxed that all of my, I guess “insecurities”, went out the window because we had the freedom and space to play.  

In preparing for the role, I have played a Panto villain previously and my personal challenge was to make it different to that. The script in itself has a lot more comical elements, so I really leaned into that as well as being able to be the classic super menacing villain. I wanted to make sure it wasn’t a two-dimensional character because it makes the character more interesting to watch and play.  

Can you share a bit about your journey from college to where you are now? 
After Nottingham College, I went to a drama school in London called the MTA which really propelled me into the industry, since then I have been working consistently in stage and screen and I’m very grateful for the career that I’ve had.  

What steps did you take after graduating to build your career in theatre? 
Going into drama school and the right drama school for me was a really important time because not only did it teach me, and fine tune my skills for the industry, it gave me a lot of incredible experiences and opportunities, and I also grew a lot as a person both personally and professionally.  

Were there any pivotal moments or opportunities that helped you progress? 
Definitely getting to work with people who were in the industry who taught me as they were such an inspiration. But also learning how to deal with rejection because during the majority of your career, no matter who you are, you will get rejection, and you have to find a way to deal with that and learn to keep fighting and believing in yourself.  

What advice would you give to students who want to pursue a career in theatre or performing arts? 
The things that I say to everyone is just work hard, be kind and chase your dreams!  

Are there any skills or habits you think are essential for success in this industry? 
I’d say, just always be willing to learn because you will learn and grow with every class and every show that you do, I’m learning things all the time and it’s important to keep doing that so you become a better performer and don’t just get stuck. Also to be grounded, we’re not saving lives, most of the time we are being silly on stage so don’t take yourself too seriously! And always be kind to everyone!  

Do you have any quick advice on preparing for auditions? 
Do your preparation and when you’re in the room just let go and have fun. Think of it as an opportunity to be in that show or be that character - for that time you get to live that, so soak it up. Be yourself and don’t try to be what you think they want because you NEVER know what they want, so stay true to yourself and make yourself proud. Not every audition will be your best or will go well and that’s okay, as long as you know you did the work to prepare.  

How did your time at Nottingham College prepare you for the professional world?  
Going from comprehensive school of one hour of drama a week to doing it every day at Nottingham College was such a change of lifestyle and a great stepping stone to drama school. I really got to build on my skills and the support I had there, and even to this day, from those teachers is so strong I really appreciate it.  

What inspires you most about performing? 
Getting to experience life through a different lens – there is a different kind of freedom in that, that you get from nothing else and it makes you feel so alive  

If you could go back and give your student self one piece of advice, what would it be? 
Stop trying to be what you think people want you to be and be true to yourself. Also know that a job doesn’t define you and focus only on what you can control.   

What’s next for you after Sleeping Beauty? 
I have a few horror movies coming out next year and I’m doing a show at the Vaults in London for the first half of the year and then we shall see what’s next. I am very lucky to have work in the pipelines because normally after a job, the reality is you head back into auditions and keep the hope of another job coming your way!  

Sleeping Beauty at Nottingham Playhouse 

This year’s Sleeping Beauty pantomime tells the classic story of a kingdom cursed after the wicked Maleficent, jealous at not being invited to the Princess’s party, casts a powerful spell. When the Princess pricks her finger on an enchanted spinning wheel, she and the entire kingdom fall into a deep sleep as a tangled forest grows around them. Only true love can break the curse, and a brave Prince must fight through the thorns to help defeat Maleficent. 

Running until Saturday 17th January 2026, there’s still time to get your tickets for this festive spectacular on the Nottingham Playhouse website. 

Performance photography by Manuel Harlan.