A Sidmouth singer who has been performing around Britain and further afield is coming home for Christmas after she was cast as Cinderella.

Nikki Mae, 26, will be on stage from tonight at the Theatre Royal in Torquay, after being offered the leading part without even having to audition.

The former Sidmouth College Student said she got a phone call from her agent saying the original Cinderella had dropped out, and did she want to step in.

On the back of her impressive CV, a recording of her singing and an online showreel she was cast in the pantomime right away.

“I was planning to try and be at home for Christmas this year for a change, so I was very excited to get the part on a production down in Devon,” she said.

The 26-year-old was also offered a part at short notice in a panto last year, except this one was a bit further from home, after being asked to perform Aladdin in Kuala Lumpur whilst travelling.

Since she returned from Malaysia she has been in the European tour of the musical Hair, and sung backing vocals on Ireland’s version of The Voice television programme.

Her theatre credits include playing Gabriella in the High School Musical 2 UK Tour, The Tempest at Bath Theatre Royal, and in Mother Goose at the Stafford Playhouse, and Nikki has also been on Blue Peter, The Alan Titchmarsh Show and GMTV.

Her family live in Sidford, where she will be spending Christmas on her day off from playing Cinderella.

She left the college aged 19 to go to drama school, but started her performing days in the Sidmouth Youth Theatre singing in Les Miserables.

“I was quite shy about singing in front of people, until Angela Davies told me off about it, and now I cant stop singing in front of people,” she explained.

“So I guess she’s to blame!”

When she’s not performing Nikki helps teach singing in workshops for very young children, something she says is a pretty good way for a performer to spend her time.

She said she isn’t sure what 2013 will bring, but for now is just concentrating about evading the ugly sisters and being the belle of the ball on stage in Torquay.

Cinderella is on from December 14 to January 6, for tickets visit www.atgtickets.com/torquay.