YORK Stage Musicals has looked beyond York, and indeed Yorkshire, to find the right actress to play wannabe diva Deloris Van Cartier, the Whoopi Goldberg role, in the York premiere of Sister Act, The Musical.

Londoner Cleopatra Rey has headed north to take her place alongside the predominantly community cast in artistic director Nik Briggs's production, which opens at the Grand Opera House tomorrow.

Cleopatra has West End pedigree, having starred in Dirty Dancing for two years and you may recall her as one of the 12 finalists in I'd Do Anything, BBC1's search to find a Nancy for Oliver! on the London stage.

"My agent said there was an audition coming up in York for Sister Act," she recalls. "Nik then explained they were looking for a professional actress to work with the local cast, and I always like new experiences and challenges, so it doesn't have to be in the West End. I like working with all sorts of people, as you can bring out each other's talents."

Cleopatra is steeped in musical theatre, having worked in professional productions since the age of 11, playing the role of a storyteller at Westminster Theatre Arts, as well as performing with Dreamworks and the Roundhouse in London.

By the age of 14 she was attending the BRIT School. "I went there while Adele was there; Jessie J; Katie Melua; Leona Lewis," she says. "It was a great environment to train in as you really got the chance to do what you wanted to do."

Now she is doing what she really wants to do once more: playing the inspirational Deloris, who takes the disguise of a nun when she needs to go into hiding after witnessing a crime and ends up teaching the nuns how to really sing and swing.

"When I saw the show in town, I was blown away by it, and if there was ever a part I wanted to play, Deloris was it," says Cleopatra.

York Stage Musicals present the York premiere of Sister Act, Grand Opera House, York, tomorrow until September 20, except Sunday. Box office: 0844 871 3024 or at atgtickets.com/york