Burnley actress Helen Ternent recently joined the West End cast of record-breaking musical Jersey Boys, she tells Diane Cooke about her steady rise to fame

LITTLE did Helen Ternent know when she was a keen member of Burnley Basics theatre group that one day she would be singing and dancing on a West End stage.

But Helen, 28, whose father Ray played for the Clarets in the 60s, is currently playing the role of Francine, Frankie Valli's daughter in Jersey Boys at the Piccadilly Theatre. What’s more, she’ll be doing it for some time yet, as she’s recently signed a three-year contract.

It’s a big relief for the Burnley performer who found herself out of work for 18 months and considered throwing in the towel.

“There comes a time when you’re waiting for that phone call after your 17th audition and, again it doesn’t swing your way, they wanted a blonde or someone who’s 5ft 2ins and you’re 5ft 5ins. It’s very worrying and I did wonder if it was time to say goodbye to it all.”

But perseverance and dogged determination kept her going and she’s in a happy place at the moment.

After many years with Basics - she went to Higham Primary and Mansfield schools - Helen’s dance teacher approached her parents with a prospectus for the stage school Phil Winston’s Theatreworks in Blackpool.

“I didn’t even know what stage school was or even that The Spice Girls had been through it, but I loved dancing, singing and acting, so I gave it a go. I’d been singing and dancing with my two sisters from an early age. It was my passion.”

Her first job at 19 after graduation was in the Three Musketeers in Berlin. “It was amazing. I landed in this buzzing city and the World Cup was on. There were people from every country. I loved it.”

Since then she’s had a successful theatre career with credits including; Gladys in The Pajama Game (Shaftesbury Theatre), Dance Captain and understudy Mandy Rice-Davies, Ronna, Vickie and Mariella in Andrew Llloyd Webber’s Stephen Ward (Aldwych Theatre), Assistant Dance Captain and understudy Karen and Minty in The Spice Girls’ Viva Forever! (Piccadilly Theatre) and Lou-Anne and understudy Amber Von Tussle in Hairspray (UK tour).

Jersey Boys has now been seen by over 20 million people worldwide and is firmly established as one of the West End's longest running and most popular shows. It was recently made into a film, directed by Clint Eastwood.

It tells the true story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons and their rise to stardom from the wrong side of the tracks. The four boys from New Jersey became one of the most successful bands in pop history, were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and sold 100 million records worldwide, all before they turned 30. The show is packed with their hits, including Beggin’, Sherry, Walk Like A Man, December, 1963 (Oh What a Night), Big Girls Don’t Cry, My Eyes Adored You, Let’s Hang On (To What We’ve Got), Bye Bye Baby, Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, Working My Way Back to You, Fallen Angel, Rag Doll and Who Loves You.

Michael Watson plays Frankie Valli, Edd Post is Bob Gaudio, Jon Boydon plays Tommy DeVito and Gary Watson is Nick Massi in the production.

“My parents are a little bit older, so I grew up with music from that era,” says Helen. “They were also featured in Dirty Dancing. I didn’t know much about the show, but when I recognized some of the songs, I wanted to be a part of it.”

But circumstances almost conspired against her as she’d booked a short holiday away which coincided with auditions. But a kindly casting director, who she’d worked with before, pulled some strings and worked around the holiday.

“I’m glad I had staying power. There have been times when I’ve felt like a glamorous gipsy moving around from place to place, but I’m really proud of what I’ve achieved in my career so far.”