I can be very ordinary looking.

'The Last Ship,' which is a beautifully written piece, is about a love triangle and young men working in a shipyard. Audiences may prefer to see a show that allows them to forget about their worries for an evening.

If I thought about it before I went on, I would have never went on. So, therefore, you don't think about it; you have to talk yourself then into, 'Listen, this is it. This is the gig. Broadway or no Broadway, you've got to do your job.'

I read books for exams at school, but only because I had to read them, and really didn't enjoy it one little bit! The only time I did enjoy it was when I was asked to read out loud in front of the class, as I then used it as an acting exercise!

I pride myself on not being run of the mill. I don't want to be your umpteenth Fantine in 'Les Miz.'

I like surprising my audiences, and it's compulsory to have fun and be silly; I never take myself quite too seriously.

Sting is a father figure to us all.

It's such a relief to see Catholic and Protestant ministers getting on - that's so rare. And in 'I'd Do Anything,' I've had so much support from folks back home, no matter what side they're on.

All you would hear every night on the news was that somebody had been shot dead in a certain part of Belfast. We lived opposite a judge, and there were always soldiers crouched down in our garden. We'd sit and talk to them, and I even used to sing to them!

I started singing in pubs and clubs around Belfast when I was 10. My dad is a musician, and he took me 'round; I impersonated Tina Turner and Shirley Bassey, and the crowd couldn't believe what was coming out of this little girl.