It’s not every day you get to meet royalty, but that’s exactly what happened to a theatre actor from Tenby who is off to Africa to work with young people who have learning disabilities.

Twenty-three-year-old Victoria Walters, who has Down’s Syndrome, has been given the opportunity to visit Lesotho to work with the communities of young people both with and without learning disabilities.

Two days a week, Victoria attends an actor training programme with Hijinx - a theatre company who work across Wales with learning disabled actors, training at regional hubs in Cardiff, Carmarthen, Aberystwyth and Prestatyn.

Through Hijinx, Victoria has received professional training in acting, dance, playback theatre and acting for camera, and has appeared in performances by Saundersfoot Footlights at the Regency Hall, at the Torch Theatre in Milford Haven, as well as at the Hijinx Unity Festival in Cardiff.

“In countries like Lesotho, people like me are completely cut off from society and are rarely seen out in public. Children who have a learning disability are abandoned by their families, and left to grow up in orphanages with little experience of the world outside,” said Victoria recently.

“I want to challenge people’s ideas of what people with learning disabilities can do, and raise the aspirations of young learning disabled people everywhere.” 

It was through Hijinx that Victoria got to meet Prince Harry and his fiancée Meghan Markle at Cardiff Castle on their first official visit to Wales last Thursday as the company was part of the Welsh culture festival the royal couple toured.

“It was a great honour to meet the royal couple, ” said Victoria.

“Prince Harry was friendly and very interested in the trip to Lesotho and asked me to send his best wishes to King Letsie III when I perform for him at the royal palace.”

Victoria added: “Prince Harry was very nice and Meghan was simply stunning. They spent some three minutes talking to us.”

Victoria’s trip to Africa takes place from February 10-25.

As part of the project, Victoria has been asked to raise some money for the trip. For any local business that would like to support this, Hijinx will ensure that they receive recognition through national publicity. This project is also supported by the Welsh Assembly Government.

Contributions can be made online at www.hijinx.org.uk/donate please use the reference ‘Africa - Victoria’

For more information, please visit the website www.hijinxactors.co.uk/victoria-walters.