My first singing role was as Susanna in a school production in a shortened form of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro. I loved to sing and I was given lots of encouragement by a wonderful music teacher Mrs Ann Hill and by my parents who suggested I go to drama school.

Just because you are successful in one area does not necessarily mean you're going to be successful in another.

My dad always told me that perseverance furthers. He was right.

But you know, I'm not 25 anymore, and I have always said musical theater in particular is a young person's game. It requires energy, mentally and physically, to do it.

One was never taught how to begin at drama school. But all it required was one intake of breath.

I never enjoyed being famous.

You couldn't even write me a paper about the roles you would dream of playing in modern musical theatre.