Theatre: Plucked from obscurity

In the musical 42nd Street, the star breaks her ankle and it's left to the young chorus girl Peggy Sawyer to save the show.

"Kid, you're going out there an unknown, but you're coming back a star," says the cigar-chomping producer Julian Marsh, as Peggy slugs a whisky to keep her kneecaps from knocking.

Busby Berkeley scenarios such as this are rare in the market-driven economy of modern theatre - but for two young actors at least, dreams still can come true.

David Habbin and Katie Knight-Adams have been plucked from theatrical obscurity (which in stage parlance often means unemployment) to star in a lavish revival of the Leonard Bernstein classic, West Side Story.

It arrives in Bradford on Tuesday for a three-week run, and will transfer to the West End in the summer.

It took more than a leading lady's broken ankle to bring on these new stars' rags to riches transformations, however. It took a great deal of dedicated training.

"They made me do nine auditions," says Katie, a 23-year-old whose principal previous experience was in a national tour of Cats.

She will now play the ill-fated Maria in gang-ridden Fifties New York.

"It was a two-month process; a horrible, horrible time. Of course, it was wonderful when I got the job at the end of it."

It was the Theatre Royal, Plymouth, originator of this revival, which decided to take the gamble on unknown lead actors.

Producer Andre Ptaszynski, the latter-day Julian Marsh, says: "The score of West Side Story demands young, exciting and vibrant talent.

"I've no doubt that we have discovered two shining new stars of tomorrow."

His public confidence, however, disguises the monumental casting effort which went on behind the scenes.

More than 6,000 actors and actresses were seen by the choreographer and a director who was back-flipping between here and New York.

"I'd done four auditions before they told me they were considering me for Maria," says Katie.

"They put me on hold for three weeks, then the director came back over from America.

"I had to return numerous times to work with the dance director, and then they packed me off to a singing teacher."

Meanwhile, David Habbin, a 28-year-old singer and dancer, was going through similar agonies before landing the pivotal role of Tony.

"I went for four auditions," he says. "I know they were at it for a great many weeks - but as an actor, you see none of that.

"You just turn up at the theatre and read a piece."

This production of West Side story is notable for reproducing Jerome Robbins' direction and the costume and set designs from the original 1957 Broadway production.

"The direction we're getting is literally being passed on from Jerome Robbins," says Katie Knight-Adams.

"It's the complete, authentic thing. This is the original and there is nothing better than the original. It's such a classic show I don't think it can be messed with at all."

The only person now permitted to reproduce Robbins' work is the American choreographer Alan Johnson, who was in the original show and whose subsequent work includes staging Mel Brooks' memorable Springtime for Hitler number.

"This is something like his 40th production," says Katie. He's been doing it all over the world, because he's the only man now who Jerome Robbins will let near the original piece."

For Katie and David, meanwhile, taking up residence in the stars' dressing rooms also means getting used to a life on the road.

"It isn't always easy," says Katie. "Sometimes you get to your digs and they're absolutely dreadful. But you at least get to see other parts of the country.

"Home? I don't really have a home now.

"My mum lives in Oxford but I sort of live with my boyfriend in London. Not officially, but that's where all my stuff is."

David, who has ambitions to sing opera, is looking forward to putting down roots in the West End when finally the tour comes to rest.

"We know the show's going to London," he says. "I'd like to think that I'm going with it but there are no guarantees.

" I just have to keep my fingers crossed. In the meantime, I'm just having to remind myself how much of a privilege this all is."

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