ACTRESS Andrea Stevens has taken a 'step to the right' and swapped her job as a theatre usher for a place on the stage.

Andrea, 25, will soon swap her tray of ice creams at the London Palladium for centre stage to play suspender-wearing maid Magenta in the cult musical The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

The show is famous for the song The Timewarp and the line -- a jump to the left...and the then a step to the right.

It is her first big role since leaving Leeds University with a BA Honours in Film, TV, Literature and Theatre Studies and heading to London's bright lights in 2000.

The former Pleckgate High School Pupil has been able to pick the brain of the show's creator Richard O'Brien, who is appearing at the Palladium in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

"He is lovely," she said, "He is as eccentric as they come, but a down to earth and generous guy. He just told me to be myself." Andrea, who went to Roe Lee Primary School and St Mary's College, has appeared in the ensemble of two West End musicals, La Cava and West Side Story since moving to the capital.

Her last theatre work was in December last year after which she became an ice cream seller to make ends meet. She said a lot of young actors and actresses had to take alternative jobs to tide them over when in between work.

Andrea, whose mum and two brothers live in Blackburn, hopes her new role means an end to temporary jobs and the beginning of regular theatre work.

Rehearsals begin on September 9, when she will finally quit her job at the Palladium.

The show, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary, opens at the Churchill Theatre, Bromley, on October 4. It will reach Manchester Opera House later.

She said: "It's hard because so many actresses have done this role before. I want to bring something new to it. Magenta is a strong woman. I like characters with a bit of fire in them. I want to be as successful as I can in this industry.

"I'm not bothered about fame, I want people to respect me for what I do."

Andrea said she had been working in amateur dramatics her whole life to reach this point. She spent much of her childhood practising ballet and appeared regularly in plays at Oswaldtwistle town hall before heading off to university.

But even now, with her major role secured, she still pines for home.

"I go back several times a year," she said, "but I am looking forward to performing at Manchester so I can live with my mum again while the show is there."