For 18-year-old Alexandra Jay, it was a confusing moment of sadness, fear and explosive excitement.

Martin McCutcheon had fallen ill with flu, leaving the lead role in My Fair Lady up for grabs.

As her understudy, it was Alexandra's chance to shine but with critics hungry for Martine, she had a lot to prove.

Buzzing with adrenaline, the Devon teenager walked on stage a complete nobody.

But her stunning voice and indisputable acting talent, saw her skipping off a star.

The next day, Alexandra, who is now 19, was on the front page of the Evening Standard and the newspapers were packed with ecstatic reviews.

One critic wrote: "Alexandra Jay scored a triumph which brought the audience to their feet." Another said: "Good luck to Martine McCutcheon, the official star, who has now got the really tough bit - matching her understudy."

Weeks later, Martine returned to the stage under a cloud of media speculation. Was she really ill or just worried she might not be able top Alexandra's performance?

Alexandra recalls: "I felt really sorry for Martine when she was too ill to appear because she worked so hard in rehearsals.

"The Press was quick to pull her apart and that's not how it should be. We had an understanding so we were fine. She would come back for a couple of days and then be off for a month.

"When we transferred to Drury Lane, it was agreed I would become an alternate and relieve her of two shows a week.

"I had a great time in My Fair Lady. Jonathan Pryce, who played Professor Higgins, was very friendly and helpful and constantly gave me notes. Some might have found that annoying but I would never complain because everything he said always worked."

If taking over from Martine wasn't daunting enough, Alexandra is now faced with the prospect of living up to Liza Minnelli's definitive performance of Sally Bowles in Cabaret.

"I've seen the film since I got the part. I love Liza Minnelli anyway. I don't think we are going to ignore the film, though. I don't know if I'll enjoy this more than My Fair Lady but I think this probably suits my personality more."

Despite having landed two leading roles, Alexandra is far from complacent.

In fact, she's still acutely aware she has yet to prove herself in her own right.

"I was only in the papers because I understudied someone famous. I think some people will be waiting to see what I'm really like. It's quite a lot of pressure."

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