Rebecca Dent
Rebecca Dent, 22, is from Chorley, Lancashire. She works as a waitress in a club and teaches at a local dance school.
Why did you enter Musicality?
'I've always dreamt of performing in a West End musical, so I jumped at the chance.'
Was it your first audition? Can you describe your feelings during the auditions?
'Not really. I've graduated from Salford University where I studied Performing Arts. A group of us put on a showcase – a sort of show to illustrate what we could do and we invited agents along. That's the closest I've got to an audition.
'I was very nervous at the Musicality audition but I enjoyed it too. At that point, I didn't really feel there was that much riding on it, so I just decided to have fun.'
Have you ever appeared on stage before? If so, when?
'I've done amateur and dance shows but nothing professional.'
What has been the best part about being involved in Musicality?
'The best part has been getting lots of advice from the panel – you couldn't pay for that.'
And the worst?
'Waiting to hear if you've got in or not. The hours go so slowly – it's agony. And it's been hard when your friends haven't got through – it was sometimes quite a bittersweet moment to hear the results.'
Do you always sing at parties?
'Not really, although all my friends make me get up and sing when we do karaoke. I don't sing as a party trick though.'
What has been the hardest thing to master – singing, dancing or acting?
'I think it's the combination of the three. It's difficult to sing and keep a good quality to your voice and keep in character.'
What have you learnt from the experts?
'The best thing I've learnt from the experts is to not do anything obvious and clichéd in musicals. You have to try to find the truth in the character and not make it too obvious and two-dimensional.'
Tell us your most embarrassing moment so far on stage – either in Musicality or during another performance?
'We were practising double pirouettes across the room with Stacy. I fell flat on my arse three times in a row. As I got to the end, I finally did one and everyone clapped. I felt really stupid.'
Do you hope to carry on with performing?
'Yes, I hope so. London has a lot to offer, so I might try to make a go of it and get an agent if possible. If it doesn't work out, I'll try to get more qualifications so I can carry on teaching.'
