Glasgow actress Ashley Oliver appeals to audience ahead of homecoming Disney show

Nov 12 2009 By Lauren Crooks

Ashley Oliver

HOMEGROWN star Ashley Oliver can't wait to perform in Beauty and the Beast when it rolls into Glasgow - as long as the SECC audience aren't offended by her accent.

The actress - who was born in Rutherglen, but has toured all over the world with the production - says she is delighted to be home in her favourite city.

But she's had to lose her Glasgow twang while playing main character Belle - opting for a well-to-do English lilt instead.

And she joked: "I hope people don't think I have forgotten where I come from. I have to put an accent on for the show, and it's a posh English one.

"I'm so happy to be back in Glasgow. I've been gone for three years and it will be great performing to a crowd of people from where I am from. I still think of Glasgow as home."

Ashley has been touring with the Beauty and the Beast stage show for three years, playing theatres up and down the country and even performing as far afield as Kuala Lumpur and Athens.

But as a girl it wasn't Belle she dreamed of playing. Ashley said: "For me, the favourite was always Ariel from the Little Mermaid and I always wanted to play that. But there are lot of things I love about Belle.

The 25-year-old works long hours, doing two shows a day sometimes and standing around in dresses that weigh at least 15lbs. She said: "It's not all glamour!"

But the hardest part of her job is impressing her biggest fans - the little girls. She said: "They think I am Belle and I desperately try to live up to their expectations."

Ashley added that getting all her family and friends to the SECC for one of the performances is what she will enjoy most.

Beauty and the Beast is running from 10 December until 3 January and also stars Shaun Dalton as Beast, and Richard Colson as Maurice.