Born
in the army town of Aldershot in the South of England, Leyla grew up in Farnham,
England before moving to the US. Her passion for the theatre was ignited at just
3 years old when she saw her uncle (a well-established British actor) in a
performance of "Who Killed Cock Robin?" on a local stage.
Leyla began her performance career competing in pageants during her pre-teen and early teen years. It was here she first realized the thrill of showcasing her talent onstage which helped her to win several awards on the pageant circuit, including a "Miss National Pre-Teen Florida Princess” title.
At age14, she began taking vocal lessons from Aubrey Connelly (a classically-trained vocalist and former director of the Orlando Gay Chorus) and filled her resume with an array of classical, Broadway, and pop performances over the next 6 years. Her early training in theatre came in high school, where she was part of the Florida Thespian Society and a multiple award-winning drama department. From there she went on to participate in numerous local productions in the Central Florida area and worked with many talented and influential actors and directors. After convincing her parents that performing was a worthwhile career, Leyla enrolled in the University of Central Florida’s esteemed Theatre Department to pursue a B.A. degree.
Some of her favorite credits include: Dorothy/The Wiz, Lady Macbeth/Macbeth, Abigail Williams/The Crucible, and Satine (from Moulin Rouge)/Spectacular! Spectacular!
Leyla currently lives in Orlando and has recently received her B.A. Theatre degree after studying under some of the most highly recognized theatre professors in the nation. She can be seen in numerous local productions, including various leading roles at Sleuths Mystery Dinner Theatre and as a vocal soloist at several special functions in the area. She is actively working to further her career in film/TV and stage performance.