My Passion with Victoria Goff: Excitement still flows stepping into the theatre of dreams

I SUPPOSE that the first seeds of my passion for musical theatre were sown by my mum when she took me to join my older cousins at dancing class when I was just two years old...and still in nappies!

From then on, three or four times weekly classes helped me progress my shuffles and spring-points into time-steps and pirouettes.

I missed out on loads of my school friends’ parties and I couldn’t have my hair cut short but the flip side is that I have great childhood memories of hairspray filled dressing rooms, sequined costumes and family holidays spent at dancing competitions in Skegness, Lytham St Annes and Blackpool.

The thing I loved most was being on stage so I was ecstatic when I successfully auditioned to be one of Ken Dodd’s Diddy Men (which is now the source of much amusement to some of the other Sagars team members who I work with!) and perform in my first professional production on a big stage.

For me, there’s no better place than waiting in the wings at the side of a stage, and I’ve been lucky enough to perform on some of the region’s best – Bradford Alhambra, Leeds Grand Theatre, Leeds City Varieties and Wakefield Theatre Royal.

I don’t think that you beat the feeling of anticipation, nerves, excitement and adrenaline that surrounds you just before you step out into the spotlight, and that’s probably why I’m still at it!

Now I get my (high) kicks by “treading the boards” with Kippax Amateur Operatic Society (KAOS).

In parallel with the Sagars team, KAOS are a committed, loyal, talented and very hardworking group of people.

Producing a spectacular pantomime, a musical and a community cabaret every year is no easy task (especially when most of us work full-time too) and there are times when a bad dress rehearsal can leave you wishing you’d decided to take up knitting instead!

But, I’ve been with KAOS for over ten years now and we always manage to pull a great show together by opening night.

Whether I’m working backstage, helping to choose the next show, making the tea or casting at auditions – I love it.

Admittedly, what I love most of all is performing and in May I was game enough to take the leading role in Sweet Charity.

I even took the script on honeymoon to learn my lines...and I’m still married so that worked out ok!