THE one person certain to be in the pink over her lead role in Darlington Operatic Society's latest production, Mame, is employment health adviser Vera Davison.

The GlaxoSmithKline worker has been a member of the society for the past 17 years and is delighted to be stepping into the limelight to star in the glitzy musical which runs from next Wednesday until Saturday, May 4, at Darlington Civic Theatre.

Vera, from Woodham, Newton Aycliffe, plays a middle-aged Manhattan socialite who is forced to go out to work when her fortunes crash and she's left in charge of a ten-year-old nephew. Mame's involvement with young Patrick sets off a series of riotous adventures which have kept audiences amused since the musical first opened in 1966.

Vera said: "Mame is one of the biggest shows a society can do. It combines humour with poignancy and there are some huge chorus numbers in it.

"Physically it is exhausting - there is a lot of movement and dancing and I have 16 extremely quick costume changes to make - but mentally it is my life balance."

She's also learning to play the bugle for one scene.

The society has been rehearsing the show since January with new director Martyn Knight, who made a great success of his first musical, West Side Story.

Tickets are available from: J E Lloyd, 148 Woodland Road, Darlington, Tel (01325) 467017 and the Civic Theatre Box Office (01325) 486555.