IT is one of the longest running shows in West End history celebrating 32 years on stage.

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera continues to play in London after opening in 1986 but did you know an Orford dancer has been part of the success story for almost half that time?

Claire Tilling has been in the West End team for Phantom since 2003.

The former Cardinal Newman RC High School student started as one of seven women in the corps de ballet and has had various roles over 15 years, including a stint as lead character Meg, before becoming dance captain five years ago.

She said: “I help run the show and teach the show to new cast members so it’s more of a creative role. I now look after the show on a daily basis alongside the choreographer.”

Claire’s association with Phantom goes back even further than that as her first job after graduating from Manchester’s Northern Ballet School was the UK tour of the musical epic.

She added: “I don’t think anyone chooses to be in a show for that amount of time.

“I certainly didn’t expect to but Phantom is a brilliant show and Her Majesty’s Theatre is a wonderful building with the history that’s there.

“My boss is one of the original ballet girls from back in 1986 when the show opened and we have someone in the cast that’s been there more than 27 years.

“It has helped maintain the original feel of the show as they have worked with the original creatives, as I have.

“I feel very fortunate to have worked with Hal Prince, who was the original director.

“We’re very fortunate that he still comes in. Most years he comes in when there’s a cast change and it reminds you of the original ideas and the original thought process behind it.

“I’ve also worked very closely with Gillian Lynne, the original choreographer. We sadly lost her a few months ago.”

Nowadays Claire, whose parents Anne and John still live in Warrington, feels a bit like a custodian of a part of West End living history.

She said: “You don’t plan on being in a show for that long but when the opportunity arises and you’re given those roles and responsibilities to look after a show like that and keep it on top form it’s a real honour.

“My contract runs for 12 months just like everyone else. It’s not a guarantee that you’ll stay on so I feel very lucky.

“We’re at 32 years now and Les Mis is the only musical ahead of us but these kinds of shows are few and far between.

“It’s incredible that they still sell. We’re packed out for eight shows a week.

“Phantom and Les Mis have a huge fanbase and have become part of West End history

“They’re timeless I think. Those creatives who came together more than 30 years ago created something special and I’m sure they knew it at the time.

 

“Les Mis has changed over the time but our show has stayed the same. And although every performer who comes in puts their stamp on the show it’s still the original staging. It’s how it was all those years ago.”

On stage was the only place that Claire felt confident when she was growing up in Warrington.

She said: “I was painfully shy as a child. I wouldn’t speak to anybody and my mum took me to a Saturday dance school to try to get me to come out of my shell.”

By the time Claire was seven she was ready for ballet classes in Orford.

She added: “I was hooked. I absolutely loved it. I used to do festivals in Liverpool and compete against other children in the area. There was something about being on stage.

“It did wonders for my confidence and my mum and my teacher couldn’t believe how confident I was in front of 50 or 100 people.

“I think you get that a lot with comedians. You see them being interviewed and they’re very quiet and introverted but you put them on stage and they’re a completely different person.”

By the time she was 14 Claire joined the Northern Ballet School part time and was there full time on a vocational course after school.

Building stamina and strength was a central part of the training which has been invaluable for a show like Phantom.

Claire, who is recovering from a strained achilles tendon, said: “The dancers play a small part in it but a very vital part and people probably don’t realise how difficult the choreography is.

“It’s a musical but technically it’s a very classical show and so it’s very challenging for a ballet dancer.

“We’re dancing on a floor that’s made to look like a lake. It’s covered in trap doors and it can sometimes get very slippy so it’s not your usual dance floor.

“It’s hard on your body. You’ve got principals in ballet companies and their workload is probably more strenuous but they don’t tend to do eight shows a week for 12 months a year. It’s hard to keep that standard.

“The dancers are there to make it look easy but it’s not. The strength that dancers have is incredible.”