X Factor star lands West End role

Former X Factor contestant Diana Vickers is to star in the lead role in the West End revival of The Rise and Fall of Little Voice.

The 17-year-old from Lancashire will play LV, the girl who gives faultless impersonations of divas such as Judy Garland and Dame Shirley Bassey.

The show will run at London's Vaudeville theatre from 8 October.

In 1999, the show was turned into a film starring Jane Horrocks as LV, Ewan McGregor and Sir Michael Caine.

Vickers will take a break from recording her debut album to star in the show.

'Natural actress'

Producer Nica Burns said: "When Jim Cartwright, who originally wrote The Rise and Fall of Little Voice for Jane Horrocks, told me he had found the perfect girl - and then dragged me off to Wembley to see Diana Vickers perform as part of the X Factor tour, I thought he'd gone mad.

"But when I saw Diana I knew immediately he was right - she has a special quality."

Cartwright described the singer as a "natural actress".

The Rise and Fall of Little Voice first premiered in 1992 at the Royal National Theatre, before transferring to the Aldwych Theatre.

It was nominated for six Olivier awards and won both The Evening Standard and Olivier awards for best comedy.

Vickers finished in fourth place in last year's X Factor contest, which was eventually won by Alexandra Burke.