WHILE the vast majority of the country was taking a day off work to recover from New Year's Eve revelling, Maureen Nolan spent the afternoon in a chilly East Lancashire hall rehearsing for her starring pantomime role.

Maureen, 47, one of the founder members of the band which brought girl power to the charts before The Spice Girls started school, plays the principal boy in a production of 'Aladdin' at the Municipal Hall, Colne, starting this afternoon.

It's a far cry from the heady days of the 1970s and 1980s when the six Nolan sisters -- Maureen, Bernie, Linda, Anne, Colleen and Denise -- were a formidable chart force, hitting number 3 with 'I'm In The Mood For Dancing' in December 1979.

They had been given their big British television break when they appeared on 'The Cliff Richard Show' in the 1970s and later worked with Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder, Perry Como, James Garner and Tom Jones.

The girls have mostly gone their separate ways -- Linda, Bernie and Denise have all played Mrs Johnstone in the West End musical 'Blood Brothers' and Colleen recently took her seat on the 'This Morning' sofa vacated by Richard Madeley and Judy Finnegan. Bernie is now carving out a career as a soap star, playing hairdresser Diane Murray in Channel 4's 'Brookside'.

However, The Nolans continue with today's line-up consisting of Maureen and Anne, Anne's 20-year-old daughter Amy and Amy's cousin Julia, 21. Anne and Maureen were in summer season in Torquay and Great Yarmouth last year, working with Joe Pasquale and Jimmy Cricket, and were joined on several nights by the younger singers, who are trying to get their own band off the ground.

But the festive season gives Maureen chance to put on her acting hat -- which in the current show is traditional headgear worn by Chinese coolies.

Maureen said: "This is the first time in 12 pantomimes that I have played a boy, so some of the other cast members keep telling me, 'Maureen -- stand with your feet apart!'. In the past I have played Snow White, Cinderella, Maid Marian and Belle in Beauty and the Beast.

"I do quite a lot of singing in 'Aladdin', more than in most pantomimes I have done. I enjoy doing panto, there's a great sense of fun, very good camaraderie and a family-type atmosphere.

"It gives us chance to broaden our horizons by doing a little bit of acting. It's always a bit 'over the top' so it's good experience for us. It's harder for comedians, because they ad lib and have fun with the audience -- but they have to keep the whole plot in their head as well."

Maureen, who lives in Blackpool, has appeared in pantomime in her home town and Preston before and admits she would like to play a "meatier part" in future years -- for example, the wicked queen in 'Snow White' -- and says at the moment she must be "the oldest Aladdin in the business".

But audiences who remember The Nolans will discover she retains the famous Irish good looks -- and delightful voice -- which endeared the family to millions worldwide.

ALADDIN is being staged at the Municipal Hall, Colne, until January 20.

Tickets are available from the box office on 01282 661234.

Performances are from January 4-20 (no performances at all on Monday January 7 and Monday to Wednesday, January 14-16 inclusive) at 7pm with afternoon matinees at 1.30pm.

There are morning matinees at 10am on Tuesday and Thursday next week but no evening performances on those dates, and on Saturday January 19.

On Sundays there will be one performance at 1.30pm.