THE roles of the contrasting mums in Pick Me Up Theatre's The Addams Family in York go to Hayley Bamford as the super sexy, if scary Morticia and Katie Melia as apple-pie Alice Beineke.

Hayley, who trained in musical theatre at Fylde College in Blackpool, only returned to the stage earlier this year as Miss America in Pick Me Up's Buddy after a 12-year hiatus to concentrate on bringing up her son, Brook. "But I kept my singing up, mainly solo singing around York, doing gigs and singing at weddings," she says, ahead of Wednesday's opening night at the Grand Opera House.

Katie, meanwhile, is expecting a baby, 16 weeks into her first pregnancy as she makes her Pick Me Up debut after appearing in shows for York Light Opera Company and LAOS (Leeds Amateur Operatic Society). "I was roped in by Robert [director Robert Readman], for my comedy skills! 'Come on board,' he said." she recalls.

"He's an incredible director to work with; he's way more involved than when I've worked with other groups. He knows what he wants; he knows how to get it, though he's given me free range to do whatever crazy things I want to do."

Hayley was inspired to return to treading the boards after seeing Pick Me Up Theatre last December. "I went to see Pick Me Up's Into The Woods, my favourite musical, which we did at college, and I was really impressed by the level of professionalism, and I thought, 'I'll keep an eye on this company'," she says.

She duly appeared in Buddy and now takes the to-die-for role of Morticia, a natural fit with her sleek dark hair, 5ft 10inch frame and oval face. "I thought I'd give the Addams Family auditions a go but I didn't think I'd get Morticia," she reveals.

"It was an amazing feeling as I'd been wanting to get back into musical theatre after a long time away, when it felt like a bit was missing from my life. Every time I'd go to a show, I was thinking, 'this is what I want to be doing', though it took a bit of courage to get back on stage. But Buddy turned out to be fantastic; just that feeling of being in a show again, working with a group where everyone's so close."

Morticia is proving even more of a delight to play. "I guess I like the morbidness of the role, playing next to Gomez, who's always dancing around and joking, while Morticia is the complete opposite. Sometimes I think, 'am I doing enough here?', but less is more with Morticia, to add to the contrast," says Hayley, whose big number will be the perfectly named Death Is Just Around The Corner.

Katie's signature song will be Waiting. "It's a 'reveal' number about how much Alice hates her life," she says. "She really opens up about how dull her husband has become!

York Press:

Meet the Beineke family, played by Katie Melia, Sam Hird, middle, and Neil Foster. Picture: Matthew Kitchen

"This will be first time I've played an older part, and ageing me has been quite a shock because suddenly I look like my mother....which is a good thing."

Katie has enjoyed working with the Pick Me Up team. "After LAOS, I thought 'what do I do next?, and I've found my new family, the crazy ones!

"Robert picks the right people for the right parts, and everyone feels they've earned their part because they're right for it. You don't get people in the cast because their mother told them to go and audition."

Robert Readman reckoned Katie would be just right too for Pick Me Up's February production of George Stiles and Anthony Drewe's musical comedy Betty Blue Eyes next year at the Friargate Theatre. "On hearing I was pregnant, he said he had the perfect character for me who was pregnant too, but I'll seventh months pregnant by then, so maybe I have to be realistic, which is why I've had to say 'No'," she says.

Hayley has caught the acting bug anew and can't wait for next year. "I'm just waiting to see what's coming up and I definitely want to be involved in whatever's going on," she says.

Pick Me Up Theatre present The Addams Family, Grand Opera House, York, October 28 to 31. Tickets: £11 to £25 on 0844 871 3024 or at atgtickets,com/york