CHOREOGRAPHER Helen Halstead is making her name as a true dancing queen with an Abba tribute band.

The 26-year-old performs as dark-haired Frida in the four-piece Abba Again and is set for her third season playing live to audiences on the island of Majorca.

The band has been the subject of ITV1's Costa del Cabaret, which has just aired its final episode, and Helen and the rest of the group will perform a farewell concert for family and friends in Prestwich on April 8.

A former Philips High School pupil, Helen was originally in an Abba tribute band with former Hear'say star Suzanne Shaw.

She studied performing arts at Bury College and continued her studies at Newcastle, with the aspirations of becoming a dancer.

Helen, of Stand Lane, went on to become a choreographer for Prestwich-based PADOS and she runs the youth section of the theatre group.

But for the last two summers she has worked every single night in knee-high white boots, thick stage tights and a brunette wig as one fourth of the super-group.

"The heat is just ridiculous," she said, "but we have got into a routine. We get up at noon, have something to eat, and doss about for a few hours. Then at 5 o'clock in the afternoon we all pile into the van and go to a gig. We get back to the apartment at 1am. It works really well."

Helen has heard that the real Agnetha has a holiday apartment on the island and admits that she would be gobsmacked if she ever turned up to one of their gigs.

She said: "I would be completely starstruck if anybody from Abba saw us. I would panic. I wouldn't say I was a particular fan of the group, but you can't help admiring them. We all love performing the music and everybody knows their songs. I have complete respect for the band."

Another time Helen appeared to be starstruck was during the documentary Costa del Cabaret.

The band featured in a programme based on the real Coronation Street and the same camera crew invited them to be filmed during one of their stints in Majorca.

Helen said: "Performing to the camera was really daunting. Normally we are very talkative and we have a laugh but as soon as they put the camera on us we all clammed up. By the time we got used to it, the filming would stop. I watched every episode behind a cushion!"

There will be no cushions in sight when Helen takes to the stage next. Abba Again will perform at Fairways Lodge, in George Street, on Friday, April 8 at 7.45pm.

The night is called Disco Inferno and will feature Helen, Dave Wilkinson, Scott Graham and Laura Mac as a 70s tribute band Dave Decks and the Love Thing, as well as Abba.

For tickets contact Helen on 07714 328593.