The Ripley St Thomas pupil will be playing Alice just days after her sister - Lisa O'Hare - flew back from America where she was playing the lead role in My Fair Lady.

Yet despite starring in Alice in Wonderland and performing well in this year's Lancaster and Morecambe dance festivals, Nichole doesn't want to turn professional like her sister. She'd prefer to be a vet or marine biologist.

"I like singing and dancing but I don't want to be as big as Lisa though I'd like to earn as much money!" Nichole said.

Rehearsing for Alice has been a busy time not only for Nichole but also for her parents as her mum, Karen is also assistant director and choreographer on the show and dad, Chris, is helping out backstage.

"I've found rehearsals very exciting, especially seeing the costumes early on and getting to know everyone in the cast really well," Nichole said.

"I've lots of lines to learn as there's very few times when I'm not on stage.

I'm playing a very traditional Alice. All the characters around me are over the top because it's all about a dream but Alice is quite stroppy and has strong views on everything."

Nichole, along with other members of the cast, has been filming in locations incuding Levens Hall and the Judges Lodgings in Lancaster as well as rehearsing on stage as this is very much a 21st Century version of the classic children's story.

Specially adapted by director Ginny Scott, it will combine film with live action on stage.

The filming was done weeks ago which meant many of the costumes had to be ready earlier than usual.

Yet another challenge for the Simpson family as mum, Karen, was also making most of them.

Karen has had to fit the show commitments around her job as accountant at John Martin's Newsagents in Torrisholme and also as a gymnastics coach at Salt Ayre where she assists her sister, Jill Trafford, a former member of the British team.

And if that weren't enough, she's also been helping older daughter Lisa to move back to London.

Having a daughter who has done so well in musicals has opened up lots of opportunities for the Heysham family as a whole.

They've travelled far and wide to see Lisa perform. Her credits include playing Mary Poppins in the West End, a role she will revive for a national tour later this year.

And when she was invited to join the ensemble of Trevor Nunn's workshop production of Acorn Antiques starring Victoria Wood and Julie Walters, mum was invited to watch rehearsals.

This summer, Lisa, plays the lead in Gigi opposite musical legends Topol and Millicent Martin in London's Regent Park.

But Karen doesn't know where all this family talent originated.

"None of my family were on stage," said Karen. "My grandfather was a singer and sang on the radio and I've done a lot of amateur work mainly with LADOS but that's been it really."

Born in Lancaster, Lisa, 23, attended St Patrick's School in Heysham until she was 11 and won a place at the Royal Ballet School. She later moved on to Millennium Theatre Arts School in London before she got her first break in a tour of Copacabana in Copenhagen.

"And she's never looked back since. It's been one musical after another," said Karen.

And though she's very proud of Lisa's achievements, she says her daughter is still down to earth and hopes to be in the audience when her little sister stars in Alice next week.

*Alice in Wonderland runs at Lancaster Grand Theatre from July 1-4 at 7.30pm and July 5 at 4pm. For tickets priced £8/£7 concessions and £6 for the first night, ring the box office on 01524 64695.