A BURY dancer plays a pivotal part in the hit show Evita which has an opening at Manchester's Palace Theatre tonight.

Debbie King, who from the age of one lived in Ramsbottom, is Dance Captain with the Evita Company as well as a member of the ensemble.

She's available to sort out cover if anybody's absent or if someone wants a shoulder to cry on. "Actually this is such a happy company that I'm not called on much to deal with tears," she said.

After Debbie left Woodhey High School, Ramsbottom, she studied drama and dance at Redroofs Theatre and appeared in several summer seasons and pantomimes, mainly on the East Coast, usually playing the fairy.

Her interest in dance started when she attended the Judith Edwards Dance School in Bury and learned tap, ballet and modern dance.

"My favourite is tap, but I don't get much opportunity in Evita," she said.

She still considers her home with her parents, Frank and Susan, as her base.

"I tried living in London, but it didn't suit me," she said. "And obviously if I'm playing in Manchester or Liverpool it's great to stay at home."

Debbie has no ambitions to take singing parts in shows. Dancing has always been the thing for me," she said.

She is delighted to be with the current run of Evita. "Apparently when it was on tour last year, a number of people were disappointed because they couldn't get tickets."

Evita stars Marti Webb as Eva, Christopher Corcoran as Che Guevara and Duncan Smith as Peron.

Written by Sir Tim Rice and Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, Evita has collected more than 40 international prizes.

It features such well-loved songs as Don't Cry? for Me Argentina, Oh What a Circus and Another Suitcase in Another Hall. The film version of Evita is now in production, with Madonna in the title role. Evita runs in Manchester from tonight until August 17.

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