IT'S the dream of chorus girls and understudies the world over - the chance to step into the limelight and take on a leading role.

For Karen Bridle of Fair Oak, that dream has become a reality.

Karen, 31, who works as a communications officer with Hampshire County Council, was promoted from understudy to the lead role of Eliza in Bernard Shaw's classic comedy drama Pygmalion with just ten days to go before curtain-up.

This evergreen story of how cockney flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, learns to 'speak like a lady' under the arduous tuition of Henry Higgins, a Professor of Phonetics is being produced by Maskers theatre at the Nuffield in Southampton.

When the original Eliza, Grace McGowan, sadly fell ill, Karen who had been studiously understudying at all the rehearsals, stepped into the role.

It is Karen's first show with Maskers since becoming a member three years ago. Until then she had helped off-stage as secretary for the group.

She said: "It's very scary suddenly finding myself going from having 15 lines to say as a parlour maid to taking on the lead role. I am determined to do the part justice as everyone has worked so hard to make Pygmalion a success."

Pygmalion is a play about class-consiousness, and how the way language is spoken is used as a social barrier.

Shaw was himself a student of phonetics and had very strong opinions on how the English language should be written, spelt and punctuated and he wrote the part of Eliza for the famous actress, Mrs Patrick Campbell, with whom he was having a notorious affair.

Professor Higgins is played by veteran Masker Ian Morley.

Guy Boney plays the gentle-natured Pickering and Albie Minns, the jovial cockney dustman Alfred Doolittle.

Maskers Angela Stansbridge said: "Karen has worked extremely hard and I am sure she will do the company proud."

The Nuffield Theatre, Southampton from Tuesday to Saturday 22 January Box Office: 023 80 671 771 or www.nuffieldtheatre.co.uk