My obsession with dressing up and pretending to be someone else dates back 30 years now! I attended a girls' Convent grammar school where music was an important part of the curriculum, including stage musicals. However, being "young ladies", we didn't toy with the likes of "West Side Story" or "Oklahoma!". Oh no, just Operetta for us!!
	So it was that I found myself at the tender age of 14, in the chorus of "Lilac Time" - DRESSED AS A MAN!! By 16, I was playing Mishka in "Gypsy Baron" and by 17, Nanki Poo in "Mikado". My love of singing and lack of enough ability on any instrument meant that I also sang for the practical side of my 'A' level music exam. I have continue, on and off, with singing lessons ever since. I also achieved medals in ballet, tap, jazz and modern dancing when younger.
I joined the Police straight from school and the shift work made it difficult to have ANY hobbies, let alone one so demanding and time-consuming! However, I had a Sergeant colleague who played leading roles in amateur musicals and he encouraged me to get involved. He died very suddenly and I felt I owed it to him to do so. As a result, I joined his home society in Marple, Stockport in 1984. (I lived in my home town of Romiley in those days) As I had been his friend, they asked me to take his place on the committee, which I was proud to do.
	My first show was "Student Prince", followed "Oklahoma!", then "My Fair Lady" - all as a chorus member. However, Marple wasn't challening me or giving me the chance to take parts so I then joined Romiley Operatic Society in 1987 for "Guys & Dolls" as a Hot Box Girl. The following show was "No, No, Nanette" in which I was a dancer and was given the chance the next year to take my first lead role as an adult amateur. This was the part of the Princesse Mathilde in "Quaker Girl" - I WAS HOOKED!!!! I then went on to play the lead roles for Romiley in shows including "Oklahoma!" (top of my wish list since I was little!!), Calamity Jane, Sound of Music, Pirates of Penzance & La Belle Helene as well as supporting roles in The Boyfriend, Half A Sixpence and Barnum and was invited back to play Mr Mullins in Carousel 3 years ago.
I moved to Salford in 1991 and found the travelling a drag in the end so in 1995, I came along to UMT (then called Urmston Operatic Society) to audition for Guinevere in Camelot. I was successful and this still stands out as one of my favourite parts and favourite shows ever! Other leads played for UMT since are Kate (Kiss Me Kate), Nellie (South Pacific), Carrie (Carousel), Lady Jacqueline (Me and My Girl), Laurey (Oklahoma) and the Wicked Queen and Aladdin in Panto (NOT at the same time, you understand!!) Over the years I have also played roles with Uppermill (Nellie in "South Pacific"), Accrigton (Jenny Lind in "Barnum"), Sale (Annie Oakley in "Annie Get Your Gun), Salford (Annie Oakley again and Dolly Levi in "Hello Dolly"), Hyde (Phyllis [the older] in Sondheim's "Follies" and Dukinfield (Dolly Tate in "Annie Get Your Gun"). The last 2 were by invitation - it feels quite nice being headhunted now and again!
I am also proud to state that I played the role of Ida in "Honk!" for The Christie Theatre Company who have raised over £100,000 on behalf of Cancer Research over the last 6 years. I also took a small part in their final show "Robin, Prince of Sherwood" last Summer. I have received a total of 11 nominations over the years (but please note that I have NOT yet won one... boo hoo!!) As I face the next challenge as Grace in "Annie", I feel I still have a huge amount to offer to amateur theatre. I recommend this hobby to anyone - of all ages - as a simply WONDERFUL way to express oneself and to get rid of the cares of the day. Just turning into someone else for the evening at rehearsal has lifted grumpy moods and stress many times for me! I have also made a huge number of cherised friends within the various groups over the years and can't imagine a time when it won't be part of my life - I'll be selling programmes from my bath chair one day!!!!

Jill Ratcliffe