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

The GlaxoSmithKline worker has been a member of the society for the past 17 years and is delighted to be stepping back into the limelight to star in the glitzy musical, which runs from April 24 to May 4 at Darlington Civic Theatre.

Vera 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.

She 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 is also learning to play the bugle for one of her big scenes.

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

The show is based on the novel by Patrick Dennis, which inspired the play Auntie Mame by Lawrence and Lee. Lucille Ball starred in the 1974 film version and movie dance legend Ginger Rogers featured in the 1969 West End production.

Tickets are available from: J E Lloyd, 148 Woodland Road, Darlington, tel (01325) 467017, and the theatre box office on (01325) 486555.