In the 'House Seats'

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What are a young persons perspective of dance and performing arts, what are their goals, dreams and aspirations and how is dance adding to their well being and confidence?

In this podcast, Craig interviews a few of the young pupils who are training for their end of year presentation at his mum's school, the Jackie Lynn Dance Studios which has been in operation 62 years this year. 

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Steve is an ex rugby playing welsh tenor, with a BA (Hons) Performance Art Degree specialising in choreography from Middlesex University. Most recently Director of Musical Theatre at Birmingham Ormiston Academy. 

Performing highlights Mr Braithwaite in the original cast of Billy Elliot, Frank Shultz in Show Boat at the Royal Albert Hall and The Beadle in Sweeney Todd at the Royal Festival Hall. As the  presenter and choreographer of the  BBC 2 award winning documentary  Our Dancing Town, he saw  four towns in Yorkshire, coming to together, celebrating the power of community through dance. 

Choreographic credits includes The Beggar’s Opera (Royal Opera House),  Ariadne auf Naxos (Garsington Opera Festival and Den Norske Opera, Oslo),  Orpheus in the Underworld (Royal Academy of Music),  La Rondine (Opera Holland Park) and The Mikado (Scottish Opera).  

Teaching and choreographic credits include MA Music Theatre at Royal Central School of Speech,  Mountview Academy of the Arts,  Music Theatre Academy, National Youth Music Theatre, Youth Music Theatre UK, Chichester Festival Theatre Youth Company and Belfast based Music Theatre 4 Youth. 

Steve is the patron of Dance Syndrome and The London Ballet Company and the recipient of the ‘Acting for Others’ bursary from Dancer Career Development 

Recent credits include: Choreographer for ‘Save the Cinema’ Film  starring Samatha Morton, Johnathon Price, Choreographer La Traviata and Un Ballo In Maschera: Opera Holland Park Dancer:  Paddington Bear 2.

Directing credits include: The 25th Annual Putnam Spelling Bee, The Drowsy Chaperone, Little Women (BOA), The Famous Farter (Welsh Millennium Centre), Something Old, Something New, (The Musical Academy, London) Whistle Down the Wind (Taylor and Labey), The Addams Family and Evita, Carmarthen Youth Opera. *Cuckoo’s Nest (Lost Theatre), Oliver!, The Lion the Witch and The Wardrobe, Peter Pan, (Chichester Festival Theatre), God of Carnage (Manchester), Diary of a Nobody (Jerwood Space), Pirates of Penzance, HMS Pinafore Carl Rosa Opera (Australia and US Tour) Mind the Gap (Canal Cafe), Nine and Pajama Game (Arts Educational).

Choreographic credits include: The Mikado, Scottish Opera,*Silly Kings, National Theatre of Wales, *Pirates of Penzance, Scottish Opera and D’Oyly Carte, Gioielli della Madonna (Holland Park), Yeoman of the Guard, Iolanthe (BBC Proms, Royal Albert Hall), Ariadne auf Naxos and Mirandolina (Garsington Opera), Ariadne auf Naxos (Den Norske Opera, Oslo), The Beggar’s Opera (Royal Opera House,Linbury Theatre), Carl Rosas’ Gilbert and Sullivan season 2007 at the Gielgud Theatre, The Amazing Chinese Conjuror (Almeida Opera), The Merry Widow (UK/South Africa), Pirates of Penzance and HMS Pinafore Carl Rosa  ( UK/USA), Dr Faustus (Chichester Festival Theatre), SwanSong (National Theatre Studio), The Rise and Fall of Little Voice (Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds), Nunsense (Bridewell Theatre), Into the Woods, Dearly Beloved, The Rose and the Ring (Rose Bruford University), Sing Sherman Sing (Soho Theatre), La Bond (The Talk of London). 

Awards:
* Our Dancing Town, Winner RTS Best Reality Document
* Cuckoo’s Nest, Winner of New Musical Festival at the Lost Theatre.
*Silly Kings, Welsh Theatre Critic Awards for Best Young People Production
*Pirates of Penzance, Manchester Theatre Critic Awards Nomination for Best Touring Production.

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Carole's work as director/choreographer in the West End, includes: Dancing in the Streets (Cambridge, Savoy and Playhouse); Santa’s Christmas Adventure  (Ambassadors); Gyles Brandreth’s Zipp! (Duchess); Girls Night Out (Victoria Palace); Elvis the Musical (Astoria, Prince of Wales and Piccadilly); Return to the Forbidden Planet (Cambridge); Ferry ‘Cross the Mersey (Lyric); Lily Savage in Snow White (Victoria Palace); Tribute to the Blues Brothers (Whitehall); Jack to a King (Ambassadors); The Pocket Dream (Albery); James and the Giant Peach (Sadler’s Wells); The Rivals (Boulevard); Wild Oats (National); La Cenerentola (Royal Opera House); various Gilbert and Sullivan operas (Sadler’s Wells and Savoy) and as Resident Director: Hello, Dolly! (Drury Lane); Peggy Sue Got Married (Shaftesbury); plus many galas and concerts at the Palladium, Prince Edward, Strand, Savoy and Drury Lane including: The Ken Dodd Show, Jerry Herman’s Broadway, with Angela Lansbury and Bill Kenwright’s Any Dream Will Do concert, with eight Josephs, all at the Palladium. Also 14 productions at Above the Stag in London – the only professional LGBT fringe theatre in the UK

Worldwide includes: The Mikado in Brisbane, Sydney and LA; Elvis the Musical in Vancouver and Sydney; Dancing in the Streets in North America and Canada. Starlight Express in Japan and Australia plus countless trade shows from Iceland to the Bahamas and many musicals directed on Cruise Ships from Norway to Western Samoa.

She has directed/choreographed varied straight productions in UK, ranging from Peter Terson’s Strippers to Agatha Christie’s only comedy, Afternoon at the Seaside, and has worked on many Kenwright productions, including Can’t Smile Without You – the UK tour based on Barry Manilow’s music , Laughter in the Rain with the music of Neil Sedaka, Ferry Cross the Mersey , Simply the Best ( Tina Turner), Jesus Christ Superstar,  This is Elvis , Elvis the Musical  and the UK hit tour Cilla the Musical. She was with the Dreamboats creative team for all three titles on both the UK tours and at the Savoy and the Playhouse in London.

Television/film work includes: Stravinsky’s Renard the Fox, Lenny Beige, Morecambe and Wise and Prick Up Your Ears.

She also writes and devises compilation shows and acts for various artistes and gives occasional Tales of Toddography talks in aid of the Guide Dogs for the Blind. She enjoys living in Brighton – when she gets the chance – and is honoured to be a patron of The Brighton Academy.

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Kevin Bishop is a best known as a director and producer for the BBC Entertainment, working on shows staring for Victoria Wood (1989), and French and Saunders (1987)

He started out as an associate producer for Candid Camera from 1974 before moving to director for shows such as 'Wogan', 'The Kenny Everett Television Show', 'the Paul Daniels Magic Show', 'French and Saunder's. In the late 80s he produced and directed the 'Les Dennis  Laughter Show' and 'Michael Barrymore's Saturday Night Out'. 

In the 1990s onwards, he produced and directed many Royal Variety Performances as well as working with Rory Bremner, Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie. He also worked on many tribute shows for stars such as Bob Monkhouse and Bruce Forsyth and was director and producer for the highly successful 'Showstoppers'.

He was also executive producer for the 'A Song for Europe' and the 'Eurovision Song Contest' from 1995 until  2001.

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Daniel won a Cameron Mackintosh scholarship to study at the Guildford School of Acting, where he graduated with a BA (Honours) in 2001. He was selected to perform in the first UK tour of Jonathan Larson's Rent, which meant leaving college early. He understudied the characters of Mark (played by Adam Rickitt) and Angel, eventually taking over the role of Mark, performing on alternate nights at the Prince of Wales Theatre in London's West End. In 2002, he played Morino in the UK tour of Sunset Boulevard, which starred Faith Brown. Boys also appeared as Roger, one of the T-birds, in Grease at the Victoria Palace. He also went on the touring production to Japan, and playing the role of Doody in Scandinavia and Cyprus. Daniel was also a soloist in Disney's Enchanted Evening (a series of UK concerts in 2004), of which the final concert was televised on BBC1 as the BBC Family Prom in the Park.

In 2005, Boys took part in BBC London's Children in Need – The Musical. He also performed at Party in the Park with the company of Grease. Guest TV appearances with Grease also included Blue Peter and The Graham Norton Show. His other early theatre credits include; Austin in I Love You Because (Landor in 2007), Anthony in Sweeney Todd (Royal Festival Hall in 2007), Mark in Rent (European Tour in 2006) and Parson Nathaniel (u/s) in Jeff Wayne's The War of the Worlds (National Tour in 2007). He also understudied all male roles. He can be seen on the live tour DVD special features, performing in place of Russell Watson in the dress rehearsal.

In 2007 he participated in the BBC reality show Any Dream Will Do and was the 7th contestant to be eliminated from the series. During the series, the judges tested his vocal skills on a wide variety of music genres including rock, swing, ballads, and pop. His only opportunity to sing a musical theatre number was during a sing-off, in which he performed "Bring Him Home" from Les Misérables against Lewis Bradley.

Daniel has appeared as Anthony Hope in Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street which was one of the first shows to open at the newly restored Royal Festival Hall and in late 2008, he joined the cast of the hit show Avenue Q and played the lead roles of Princeton and Rod and won the "What's on Stage Theatregoers Choice Award" for "Best Takeover in a Role" for his performance.

Daniel has performed at Andrew Lloyd Webber's 60th birthday concert in Hyde Park, appeared on the BBC programme "Songs of Praise" and toured with John Barrowman on his Music Music Music tour. On 6 December 2009, Boys performed with fellow artists in "Christmas in New York" at the Prince of Wales Theatre. Among his songs were "Ave Maria" and "Winter Wonderland".

In 2009 Daniel's debut solo album So Close was released and he embarked on a series of solo concerts performing at venues such as Leicester Square Theatre, the Delfont Room in the Prince of Wales Theatre, Wilton Music Hall, Greenwich Theatre and three sold-out performances at Pizza on the Park (Jazz Club), London. He made his American debut with the show when he performed at Show at Barre (Los Angeles), supported by Broadway actress Megan Hilty, and in Australia he played at both Sydney and the Adelaide Cabaret Festival alongside acts such as Olivia Newton-John and Chita Rivera.

In February 2010, Boys performed with Jessie Buckley in two concerts in Manchester and Birmingham entitled "Valentines at the Musicals" including songs from West Side Story and My Fair Lady'.

See here for further career credits

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Kim's  career has taken her from Broadway to the West End to the international concert stage, resulting in a most unusual career path unmatched by any other singer. She continues to specialize in musical theatre, bringing the classic American songbook to leading music venues across the world, both in symphony settings and recital.  She has sung at La Scala in Milan, La Fenice in Venice, the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples, the Accademia Nazionale Santa Cecilia in Rome, the Théâtre du Châtelet and the Opéra Comique in Paris, Concertgebauw in Amsterdam, Carnegie (Weill) Recital Hall in New York, the Musikverein, Konzerthaus and Volksoper in Vienna, the Berliner Philharmonie, the Teatro Nacional de São Carlos in Lisbon, the Snape Maltings Concert Hall in Aldeburgh, and the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, not to mention multiple appearances in London at the Wigmore Hall, the Royal Albert Hall, the Barbican, the Royal Festival Hall, the Queen Elizabeth Hall, the Purcell Rooms, Cadogan Hall, and the Linbury Studios at the Royal Opera House, and elsewhere, from Reykjavik, Helsinki, Leipzig and Kaiserslautern, to Athens, Essen, Gothenburg and Bremen, to Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Hong Kong, Malta, Montpellier, and Moscow, giving her a unique platform among interpreters of the musical theatre repertoire.

She has had the pleasure of singing with many of the world’s greatest symphony orchestras, ranging from the Berlin Philharmonic and City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestras conducted by Sir Simon Rattle, with whom she has recorded Leonard Bernstein’s Wonderful Town in a version that then was repeated as a BBC Proms concert, and as the New Year’s Eve Gala in Berlin, to the London Symphony Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Philharmonia and London Sinfonietta, the Liverpool Philharmonic, the Northern Sinfonia, the Leipzig Gewandhaus, the Orchestre National de Lyon, the Orchestre de Picardie, the Orchestra della Toscana, the Hong Kong Philharmonic, the Toronto and Winnipeg Symphonies, and many, many more. 

Kim has formed several lasting musical partnerships over the years, leading to both concert and recording opportunities. Conductor/music historian John McGlinn brought her to EMI Classics, which led to several recordings and a personal recording contract, as well as many symphony concerts across America and Europe. With conductor John Wilson, she has explored the world of film music across the UK in concert, including the very popular MGM and Rodgers and Hammerstein Proms concerts, and several solo evenings. Her ongoing recital partnership with conductor/pianist Wayne Marshall has taken the pair to many of the great concert venues in Europe, both as recitalists and in full symphony settings.  Other conductors she has appeared with include Kristjan Jarvi, , Leonard Slatkin, Marin Alsop, Yutaka Sado, Keith Lockhart, Ulf Schirmer, John Axelrod, Kevin Farrell, Carl Davis and Richard Hickox, to name a few.

Critically acclaimed for playing “Annie Oakley” in Annie Get Your Gun at London’s Prince of Wales Theatre, for which she earned a Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical, and for her role as “The Old Lady” in Robert Carsen’s productions of Candide at La Scala and the Théâtre du Châtelet, she has also won a Helen Hayes Award for her work in Side by Side by Sondheim. She also starred as “Sally Adams” in Call Me Madam at the Goodspeed Opera House, singing the role of “The Old Lady” in Candide at Chicago’s Ravinia Festival, and co-starring with Joseph Fiennes and Charles Edwards in Happy Days in the Art World at NYU’s Skirball Center in New York.

Kim’s Broadway credits include starring as “Lucy”, opposite Sting, in the 3 Penny Opera directed by John Dexter, and appearing in the original Broadway cast of 1982 Best Musical Tony winner Nine, first as Francesca, then taking over the leading role of Claudia. Other Broadway original cast credits include The First, Baby and Star

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Helen's started her career with a work placement at the Royal Exchange theatre in Manchester and since then she has gone on to work full-time in the professions.

She has had a long working relationship with Cameron Mackintosh supervising the hair and make up for My Fair Lady, Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera in the UK and internationally, including productions in the USA, Korea and Spain.

She has also been part of Mary Poppins for over 10 years with productions in the UK, Vienna, Stuttgart and now Japan. Worked on Broadway on numerous occasions and has spent a lot of time at The Old Vic in London.

Theatre work credits include: Company, Oliver, Girl from the North Country, Groundhog Day, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Cats, Starlight Express, Guys and Dolls, We Will Rock You, Hairspray, Matilda, Wicked, Only Fools and Horses, La Cage aux Folles, Merrily We Roll Along, a Christmas Carol, Present Laughter, Long Days Journey Into Night, The Glass Menagerie, Hallelujah, Blithe Spirit and Breakfast at Tiffanys.

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 John made his West End Debut at the age of 12 in Lionel Bart’s ‘Oliver’ at the Albery Theatre. 

His theatre credits include: Bull Connor in King The Musical (Hackney Empire, 2018), Lionel Bart in The Story of Bart (Tour 2018 & Mirth, Maud & Marvel -2017 & The Hippodrome 2014), Barry Bronze in Rehab - A New Musical (The Union Theatre – 2017), Uncle Ernie in The Who’s Tommy (Greenwich Theatre), Principal Singer in Rhythm of Life (The St. James Theatre, Studio), Fogg in Sweeney Todd (ENO), Ed Kleban in A Class Act (The Landor Theatre) for which he was nominated for Best Male Performance at the Offie Awards and Broadwayworld.com 2013/14, Tateh in Ragtime (The Landor Theatre), Charles Guiteau in Sondheim's Assassins (The Union Theatre) for which he was nominated for Best Male Performance at the Offie Awards 2010, Greta in Martin Sherman's Bent (The Landor Theatre), Maisie in Diamond (The Kings Head Theatre), Dr. Thomas Parker in Batboy the Musical (Shaftesbury Theatre), Ragtime (Piccadilly Theatre), Original Cast Member of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Aspect of Love (Prince of Wales Theatre), Hey, Mr Producer (Lyceum Theatre), Feuilly in Les Miserables (Palace Theatre). Red Bishop & Gran/Wolf in The Boy Who Fell into a Book-Written & Directed by Alan Ayckbourn (The Stephen Joseph Theatre), Wilbur Turnblad in Hairspray (Curve Theatre, Leicester - 2014), Amos Hart in Chicago (The Plenary Hall, Kuala Lumpur), Skimbleshanks in Cats (Larnaca Municipal Amphitheatre, Cyprus), David in Company (Derby Playhouse), Koko in The Mikado and Njegus in The Merry Widow (both for Opera Della Luna), Harry in Flora The Red Menace and Snoopy in Snoopy The Musical (both at The Cambridge Arts Theatre), Cliff in In The Midnight Hour (York Theatre Royal), Che in Evita (Opera House, Manchester), and Tobias Ragg in Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd (Watermill Theatre, Newbury).

In film he has appeared as Convict 5 in Les Miserables – The Movie (2012) Directed by Tom Hooper, Kenny Star in The Catch (Primley Road Productions 2013), and Do Not Disturb – Shut Eye (2017).  and TV includes Taboo (BBC-2016) The Bill (ITV), The Purple People Eater (Dramarama Series-ITV) Pebble Mill at One (BBC1), The 1987 Royal Variety Show (ITV), and Wednesday at Eight (Thames TV)

John has also performed his own Cabaret shows on the QE2 and in some of the most prestigious cabaret venues all over the world, including London, New York, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Washington D.C, Chicago, Sydney, Venice, Switzerland, and Denmark.

His panto credits include: Dame Nanny Fanny in Robin Hood (Queens Theatre, Hornchurch) 2019/20, Dame Dotty in Jack & The Beanstalk (Queens Theatre, Hornchurch) 2018/19, King Rat in Dick Whittington (The Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury) Winner of Best Pantomime Villain of the Year – 2016/17, Sarah the Cook in Dick Whittington (Ferneham Hall), King Rat in Dick Whittington (Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield), Widow Twankey in Aladdin (Milton Keynes Theatre), Dandini in Cinderella (Capitol Theatre, Horsham), Ugly Sister in Cinderella (Churchill Theatre, Bromley), Ugly Sister in Cinderella (Richmond Theatre), Snowman in Jack & The Beanstalk (Hackney Empire), Josh the Jester in Sleeping Beauty (The Paul Robeson Theatre), Jack in Jack & The Beanstalk (Greenwich Theatre), Dame ‘Debut’ Christabel Crusoe in Robinson Crusoe (Corn Exchange, Newbury), Buttons in Cinderella (Corn Exchange, Newbury), Aladdin in Aladdin (Eden Court Theatre, Inverness), Slap in Mother Goose (Horsham Arts Centre), and Peter Pan in Peter Pan (Hawth Theatre, Crawley).

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Sally Ann Triplett is a British singer and actress and is one of only four singers to have sung for the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest twice, first in 1980 as the lead female vocals of the six-piece band Prima Donna and then two years later as part of a double act Bardo.

Her first West End appearance was in The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Subsequent West End productions include Margie and Young Phylis in Follies at the Shaftesbury, Chess at the Prince Edward Theatre, Rizzo in Grease at the Dominion Theatre and Ruby Keeler opposite Brian Conley in Jolson at the Victoria Palace Theatre and then Toronto, as Grizabella in Cats at the New London Theatre, Mrs Big in The Villain's Opera at the Royal National Theatre and, more recently, as Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes at the Royal National Theatre and the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, directed by Trevor Nunn, as Roxie Hart in Chicago at the Adelphi Theatre, as Miss Berta in Acorn Antiques - The Musical at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket and as Miss Adelaide in Guys & Dolls at the Picadilly Theatre. Sally Ann also appeared in the world premiere of Take Flight at The Menier Chocolate Factory, playing Amelia Earhart. 

Other stage appearances include Jubilee at Her Majesty's, a Judy Garland tribute concert at the London Palladium, Jill Kemp in Mister Cinders at the King's Head, Lady Evelyn in the workshop premiere of a new Stiles and Drewe musical Tutankhamun at Imagination, Lucy in Snoopy at the Watermill Newbury, Nancy in Oliver! at the Haymarket Theatre, Leicester and Rebecca Hershkowitz in Rags at the Bridewell Theatre. 

Sally Ann starred in Phil Wilmott's production of Much Ado About Nothing at the Liverpool Empire. Shakespeare's classic battle of the sexes had been transported to wartime London, where Sal played the feisty Beatrice (played by Emma Thompson in Kenneth Branagh's movie adaptation), she also appeared in the review Make Me A Song, based on the works of William Finn and as Marge in Absent Friends at the Watford Theatre. 

More recently Sal has appeared as Donna in Mamma Mia! at the Prince Edward Theatre, as Maria Merelli in Lend Me A Tenor at The Theatre Royal, Plymouth and Mistress Page in Shakespeare's Merry Wives of Windsor at Stafford Castle. Sal has played Diana in the Drama Centre Theatre's production of Next To Normal in Singapore and, between 2012 and 2015, Sal has created the roles of Lauren in Viva Forever at the Picadilly Theatre, Judy/Liza in My Judy Garland Life at the Nottingham Playhouse, Peggy White in The Last Ship at The Bank of America Theatre, Chicago (later transferring to The Neil Simon Theatre, New York) and Billie Dore in the 2015 Chichester Festival Theatre production of A Damsel In Distress.

On television Sally Ann appeared in the award-winning short film The Fishing Trip and played one of the leading roles in Magic, a six-part drama series set in Hamburg. Her recent TV appearances include Doctors, Down to Earth and EastEnders, all for the BBC.

For more information see www.sallyanntriplett-official.com

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Claire trained at the Elliot Clarke Stage School in Liverpool and the Italia Conti Stage School in London. Her extensive acting work on television includes playing regular character Lindsay Corkhill in Brookside, the fiery Katrina in the award-winning drama Clocking Off, Lindsey Kendal in the popular BBC series Holby City, Roz in BBC1's hit drama Merseybeat, and Amanda in comedy drama Candy Cabs.

Claire's West End roles include Roxie Hart in Chicago and Miss Adelaide in Guys and Dolls, playing opposite Patrick Swayze. Claire played the title role in Educating Rita alongside Matthew Kelly and Paulette in the UK tour of the award winning Legally Blonde. In 2011, she starred in a one-woman show Tell Me on A Sunday. Other theatre credits include White Christmas, Shout!, Fosse (World Tour), The Play Wot I Wrote, and the UK Tour of John Godber’s September in the Rain, alongside John Thomson. She has also performed duets with International Opera stars Bryn Terfel and Jose Carreras at The Royal Albert Hall, and headlined the Lytham Proms Festival.

As a television presenter, Claire authored the one-hour ITV primetime documentary Claire Sweeney: My Big Fat Diet. She presented four series of 60 Minute Makeover(ITV1) and hosted Saturday night shows Here Comes the Sun (BBC1) and Challenge of a Lifetime (ITV1). Claire presented three live specials of I'm Famous and Frightened for Living TV. She appeared in the first and most successful series of Channel 4's Celebrity Big Brother, was a regular panellist on Loose Women, appeared on Celebrity Come Dine With Me, and was a contestant on the first ever series of Strictly Come Dancing. Claire has also enjoyed taking part in The Royal Variety Show and BBC1's primetime Saturday night series Let's Dance for Comic Relief, in which she made it to the finals.

Claire has entertained British Troops abroad, and was the first entertainer to visit the troops in Afghanistan and Oman. She was delighted and honoured to perform at A Party To Remember broadcast live on BBC1 from Trafalgar Square to celebrate VE Day and sang live at The Royal Albert Hall for VE Day as well as performing live to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II in the presence of HM the Queen. Claire is an Ambassador for the Variety Club and was the leading force in raising one million pounds to build a new wing for Claire House as part of the Sparkling Star Campaign. Over the years Claire has made several trips to Africa for her Aids charity work, a cause she holds close to her heart.

Claire's solo album, simply entitled Claire, reached the top 5 of the UK charts. In 2010, Claire performed in a series of concerts entitled Battle Of Britain - 70th Anniversary with three of the country's finest orchestras.

She was recently seen in the BBC1 comedy Scarborough, staring alongside Jason Manford, Stephanie Cole and Catherine Tyldesley playing Maneater Hayley Coxand has also recently played Shirley Valentine onstage, Willy Russel’s one-woman play directed by Ian Talbot OBE.

She also starred as Irene Roth in Crazy For You, Baroness Bomburst in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and Velma Von Tussle in Hairspray (all on National Tour). Prior to these, Claire toured in the hit show Sex In Suburbia, which she co-wrote, following its hugely successful run at the Royal Court Liverpool. She recently guest starred as Maxine in the hit ITV comedy Benidorm, was special guest on Jane and Friends, and hosts her very own weekly musical theatre-themed show on Magic FM.

2014 saw her most important production to date – the birth of her first child Jaxon.