``IS this a joke?''
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They were the first words Alex Thompson, of Longford, said when he was accepted to study a bachelor degree in music theatre at the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts.
``I was on the train back to my brother's house in Melbourne (earlier this month ) and they called me,'' the 19-year-old said.
``I was sitting there by myself and I was just talking really loudly going `are you serious?'.
``I cried, I was so happy.''
Thompson auditioned for the school last year as well.
He got through to the call-backs then, but that was as far as he made it.
This year, Thompson was also accepted into the University of Ballarat and into a year-long course at the Victorian College of the Arts.
He said he chose the school because it was renowned for the quality of its musical theatre.
``WAAPA's always been the school I wanted to get into since I was young,'' he said.
``Musical theatre is my main dream - I just love singing, dancing and acting and to do it all at the one time is just great.
``My ultimate goal is to head over to the West End in London and then Broadway in New York to do musical theatre.''
Thompson first took to the stage in the chorus of the Launceston Players' 2004 production, Fiddler on the Roof .
Since then, he has performed in many Launceston productions with his most recent in the chorus for Encore's Jesus Christ Superstar and he danced with Stompin in Restore .
Thompson will leave the state for WA on February 2 to start his three-year course.