Immortalised by Liza Minnelli in the 1972 Oscar-winning film, Sally Bowles remains a dream part for actresses and Cabaret a favourite with audiences. The show was revamped a few years ago for London, and then launched last year for a UK tour with Wayne Sleep as the Emcee.

Now it's back at Birmingham Rep until September 19, with TV reality show favourite Siobhan Dillon at the helm.

The young performer was a finalist in How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? and finished third behind Helena Blackman and winner Connie Fisher, both of whom have enjoyed successful careers in musical theatre since the TV show ended.

For Siobhan however, musical theatre was never really the end goal.

"I like doing theatre but ultimately I'm a songwriter and I want to write songs, sing them and have a successful album,'' she says.

"I always wanted to sing, and I did my A-level in performing arts, but the careers adviser pointed out that I hadn't trained in dancing or acting, and rather than deciding to learn, I got scared.''

She went off to the London College of Fashion instead, and drove her classmates mad with her constant singing.

"They couldn't understand why I wasn't studying musical theatre instead. Then one day an ex-boyfriend said to me 'for goodness sake, stop watching the X Factor and wishing you were doing it instead of getting on with it'.

"The auditions came up for How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? and I went for it.

"When I finished the show I was approached by Universal who wanted to do a single with me, but they wanted to mould me in a different way to who I am and it didn't work.

"Then I called theatre producer David Ian and auditioned and ended up playing Patty in Grease in the West End.

"It was a huge learning curve, because I had to dance through the whole show.''

A trip to Nashville followed to pursue songwriting; then she joined the UK tour of Barry Manilow musical Can't Smile Without You, alongside Chesney Hawkes, who she describes as "just the loveliest, loveliest man", before recording the first half of her debut album.

Then she got the call to star in Cabaret.

"I had seen the film a couple of times and never really thought it could be my kind of singing, and I didn't think I could carry off a character who was so intense and vulnerable.

"It was a massive challenge and I've found it hard work, not least because Liza made her such a charming and iconic character.

"But it's been going really, really well, great fun as well as hard work and I've enjoyed the whole process.

"I've spent a lot of time with the director going through every line of the script, analysing it and breaking it down and nit-picking to see her motivation in every word.

"The song Cabaret isn't what people will expect, but I think they'll enjoy it.''

Info

Cabaret is at Birmingham Rep until September 19 (0121 455 3636) before touring to Derby Assembly Rooms from Sept 21 to 26.

www.birmingham-rep.co.uk