A whirlwind few weeks for ex-Langley Grammar School pupil Adam Bernard has seen him win a prestigious theatrical Olivier award for his role in the show Dreamgirls – while learning that his own ‘dreamgirl’ is going to make him a father.

Adam, 28, of Paget Road, Langley, won the Olivier for his role as the flamboyant Jimmy Early in a ceremony held at the Royal Albert Hall. His girlfriend – dancer Hannah Veerapen – was at his side.

He had just learned that the pair were going to become parents at the end of the year.

Playing Jimmy – who is allegedly based on the great soul singer James Brown – has come naturally to Adam, who says: “I always loved James Brown. I grew up on him from when I was a toddler.”

Amazingly when Adam appeared on the television’s X Factor Simon Cowell told him he could not sing and he only got as far as Boot Camp.

Now he is in one of the hottest shows in London, which is booking ahead to at least October by which time he will have been playing Jimmy well over a year. But he says he never gets bored.

He said: “It constantly evolves and develops. It is not just about me but about all the characters whose stories are told in the show. We tell those stories every night and you stay in the moment and react to the person you are on stage with, so it is never the same.

“It never becomes robotic. People would sense that at once.”

Dreamgirls is generally believed to be loosely based on the story of the Supremes, following the fortunes of a famous girl group and took 35 years to reach London after its initial Broadway opening.

Adam admits that on the night of the award ceremony he was as nervous as he has ever been.

He said: “The one thing I could not hide was my hands which were cold and sweating. When my name was called my heart was beating so fast, it was euphoric.”

The part of Jimmy has opened all sorts of doors for Adam, who has even acquired a manager in LA. He wants to go into television and films if he can.

Clearly the boy who once played Jesus in an end of term production at Langley’s Holy Family School still has a long way to go.