On any given day, four-year-olds can outperform Tony winners. They can cry on cue, when they don't want hot milk. They can chew the scenery when it's time to go to bed. They can bring the house down with their histrionics. They're natural-born performers; all they need is a little hand-holding by professionals. Recognising this, many city schools have begun grooming their students to become headliners.

In December last year, Cathedral and John Connon School in Fort staged a massive production of The Phantom of the Opera for their annual school play, with 120 actors onstage and 80 kids backstage. It had a falling chandelier and a swaying boat. Earlier this month, Jamnabai Narsee International School in Juhu put up Les Misérables with 240 students. It included rap and Adele's Skyfall. These aren't kiddie productions, created to amuse parents. Directed by theatre professionals, and enacted by budding thespians, they showcase what 16-year-olds are capable of.