SHE will be spending most of the festive season amid the maniacal experiments of Dr Frank’n’furter.

But Laura Harrison would not have it any other way.

The former Woolston High School student has recently started rehearsals for the tour of the Rocky Horror Show alongside the likes of Strictly Come Dancing’s Joanne Clifton and a1’s Ben Adams.

Laura, who plays Magenta, said: “Being around the stars can feel strange maybe for the first 10 minutes.

“I did Legally Blonde with Rita Simons who’s in I’m A Celebrity.

“She is a really good friend of mine now but at first, I was a bit star struck. It does wear off when you have a conversation with them because you realise they’re normal people. They’re just like everyone else.

“In a job like this – especially with Rocky Horror – you’re thrown into it and so you have to be completely comfortable with everyone and realise that everyone’s in the same boat. There are 14 cast members for this and that’s really similar to the size of the cast when I did Blood Brothers but this time we’re also pretty similar ages.

“So you learn a lot about each other really fast and you kind of have to make a family because you’ve got to be with each other and live with each other for a long time.

“It can be intense but you end up turning to each other for support.”

Laura’s tour begins at Theatre Royal in Brighton from December 13 to January 5.

The show commitments means she will only have Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off but Laura plans to make the most of it.

Laura, who grew up in Timberscombe Gardens, Woolston, added: “I’m going to come home to Warrington. It’s my mum’s birthday on Boxing Day as well so I’m going to spend Christmas at home, see my mum on her birthday and then drive straight back down.”

Then Laura will be back on home turf when Rocky Horror does the Time Warp at Manchester Opera House from January 9 to 26.

She said: “My family will be seeing me in Manchester and they’ll be bringing anyone and everyone. They love having a little sneak peek around the dressing rooms and meeting everyone. My mum’s got a hoodie that says Isabell Harrison – number one fan.”

Laura attended youth musical theatre company CODYS and went on to study performing arts at Priestley College where she is regarded as one of the department’s first success stories.

The 31-year-old added: “I used to teach in between doing shows and I still teach one girl who’s just gone to Priestley College.

“I preach to everyone about Priestley College and the drama department because it was thanks to the support of the team there like Sarah and Helen that I’ve gone on to have these opportunities.

“I was also a part of CODYS and that played a massive part in everything I do.

“Nick from CODYS still comes to watch me. He was there at Legally Blonde with his daughter so it’s good to have the support of everyone in Warrington.”

Laura is proud to represent Warrington on stages around the country as living proof you can still live in the town while working in showbiz.

She said: “I’ve got friends who live in London in their mid-30s who don’t feel like they can afford to buy a house.

 

“My mortgage is probably a third of their rent and the train from Bank Quay to London takes an hour and 42 minutes and it can take you that long to travel across London.

“So whenever I have auditions I jump straight on the train to Euston and I’m set. I know enough people now that I can crash in someone’s spare room if I need to stay over and so it works living in Warrington and being able to do this. I have the best of both worlds. I got my house, my husband and my dog and I’m still able to do what I love.”

Laura admitted that being away from her husband Michael Ruth, a videographer, and her family for extended periods is hard at times though.

She added: “I’ve toured for a while now and you do get used to it. It becomes a routine. It is hard but my husband works full time in Manchester and so he’s always really busy.

“It works because whenever I can I finish on Saturday and drive straight home because I’m still wired from the show anyway. Then I have all Sunday at home and to see family. I’ve made it work.”

Meanwhile Laura, who kickstarted her career with a BBC Musical Theatre Bursary and has sang with the likes of Peter Andre and Jason Manford, is currently finding her own take on Rocky Horror’s castle maid Magenta.

Laura said: “You’re completely encouraged to do your own thing. If anything they don’t want you to do what someone who played your part last year did.

“They want me to come up with my own take on Magenta which is even nicer because in some long running musicals you might find you’re just dropped into rehearsals and told exactly what to do.

“Rocky has such a good rehearsal space and nobody is precious. If you want to do something differently, they’re completely happy with that.”

The Rocky Horror Show is at Manchester Opera House from January 9 to 26. Visit rockyhorror.co.uk/tour