Actress Joanna Mays knew she wanted to be in Stephen Sondheim's musical Sweeney Todd the moment she saw the original London West End production.

She achieved that ambition in a revival of the show at Theatre Clywd in Wales and on tour three years ago. Playing pie-making Mrs Lovett again in a tour coming to York this month is an added bonus.

"I love it. It's the best role for a woman," says an enthusiastic Mays. "It's a joy. Every night I look forward to going on stage."

Being offered to role at this stage in her career was all the more surprising because at 31 - her age when she first played it - she was too young for Mrs Lovett. Previous productions have had older actresses, including Sheila Hancock and Julia Mackenzie, in the part.

"They've tended to cast people in their mid-40s. She probably wouldn't be that old although I'm quite young for it, but the make-up and physicality I bring to the part makes up for that," she explains.

"I was born and bred in South London so the accent comes naturally. I just think I'm incredibly lucky to have been given the chance to play her."

The current production played to full houses in the New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich before touring. York is the only Northern date.

The role is vocally taxing and having a heavy cold hasn't helped. Both she and Paul Leonard, who plays Sweeney Todd, were ill during rehearsals. "You do have to look after yourself," says Mays. "I'm just getting over a bacterial infection. I've been going straight home after the show and not drinking. But I'm quite lucky because she's a character part so you don't have to be hitting the top Cs every night. Unless you knew my voice back to front you wouldn't know any difference."

Mrs Lovett is rarely off stage and, even during the 15-minute interval, there's no rest as she has to undertake a full costume, make-up and wig change. Mays reflects this is in contrast to her two years in another big musical Les Miserables on tour and in London when her character, Madame Thenardie, was only on stage for about 25 minutes a performance.

Her first viewing of Sweeney Todd made as much of an impression as the time she saw the original US cast production of A Chorus Line at London's Drury Lane Theatre when she was 12.

"My mum was in the St John Ambulance and I used to go with her when she was on duty at the theatre. I sat there and was completely bitten by the acting bug after seeing A Chorus Line," she recalls.

"I thought, 'that's what I want to be'. I didn't even know if I could sing although I'd sung in school choirs."

After that she went to classes at Italia Conte Stage School on Saturdays. Although her parents were supportive of her acting ambitions, they wouldn't let her go there full time, insisting she finished her school exams first. Then she studied at Central School and spent two years with the Royal Shakespeare Company as her first professional job.

Mays also covered the leading role of Rose, the mother of all stage mothers. Sheila Hancock was playing Rose but producers needed someone to take over at certain performances.

She'd like to return to Rose, another part for which theoretically she was too young, in a few years time.

When she's "resting" - as she did for eight months after leaving Les Mis - she still retains her links with the stage. She got on well with the people in the Les Mis wig department and they trained her up in wigs and wig care.

Despite all these musical roles Mays describes herself as actor who sings rather than a singer who acts. "I've done a bit of everything," she says.

Sweeney Todd is at York Theatre Royal from February 28 to March 10. Tickets £7 to £14.25. Box office (01904) 623568