Hunter Burgess is ready to hit the boards at Victoria Playhouse Petrolia.

It’s quite an accomplishment at age 10.

The Grade 5 student from Sarnia was one of about a dozen young men to audition for the part of Thor Waldgrave in the VPP’s production of The Nerd. Waldgrave is The Nerd’s childhood tormentor.

It’s hard to believe when you meet Burgess that he could torment anyone. The happy, polite Grade 5 student at High Park Public School smiles and talks easily about his passion for acting.

Burgess began his acting career after taking a summer acting class in Sarnia because he thought it would be fun. That led to going to the Triple Threat School where he learns acting, dance and singing.

He recently landed the part of Toodles in the Imperial Theatre’s production of Peter Pan which begins in May. Burgess decided to try out for The Nerd after being encouraged by his teacher Andrew Colborne.  “He thought I’d do a good job and he thought I could make it.”

The VPP’s co-artistic director David Hogan says Burgess and The Nerd’s director, Kelli Fox, really hit it off. “They got along very well. She knew he would respond well in rehearsal.”

For his part, Burgess is really excited. “I’ve highlighted all my lines already,” he says.

The Nerd begins in August.