Antoinette, who first became involved in musical theatre as a member of the Junior Phoenix Players in Portadown, is putting her dancing shoes back on for the wild and whimsical gun-toting tale, ‘Calamity Jane’.

It will be a welcome back to the stage proper for the talented Belfast music teacher, who switched to a back-stage assistant choreographer role for the New Lyric’s Christmas production of The Merry Widow.

“I was seven months pregnant with my second baby when the Merry Widow was playing at the Opera House, so I couldnt’ perform, but it was great to be involved in a different aspect of the production,” said Antoinette. “I couldn’t leap around and I missed dancing on stage, but being assistant choreographer and working alongside well-known Dublin director Vivian Coates gave me a real insight into the production side of things.”

Antoinette has enjoyed many lead roles herself over the years, as well as being dance captain for several major productions from New Lyric. Lead roles have included Ponchita from Copacabana and her favourite - Anytime Annie from 42nd Street which the company brought to the Grand Opera House last year.

“42nd Street has lots of big dance numbers and I am a real tap dancer at heart, so I really enjoyed that one,” she added. “In Calamity Jane there aren’t as many big dance routines, but there is quite a lot of chorus involvement and of course many favourite, well known songs.”

These include ‘Just Blew in From the Windy City’, ‘The Deadwood Stage’, the romantic ballad ‘Higher than a Hawk’ and the Academy award-winning ‘Secret Love’.

John Lindop from the New Lyric company said the show was bound to be another successful production, thanks in no small part to sponsorship secured from Abbey Insurance Brokers, one of the largest locally owned independent insurance brokers in Northern Ireland.

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“Not to blow our own trumpet, but New Lyric is ranked top in all Ireland in the Association of Irish Musical Societies,” said John. “Our shows cost in the region of £100,000 to put on. They only thing amateur about our shows is the performers - they don’t get paid!

“We just couldn’t do it without the sponsorship support of Abbey Insurance and on behalf of the company, I’d like to thank them very much for their support.”

Calamity Jane will be performed at the Grand Opera House with a special preview night on Monday, May 19, through to Saturday, May 24. Tickets range in price from £5 to £23.50 and booking details may be obtained from the Grand Opera House box office on (028) 9024 1919 or from www.goh.co.uk