Charles Hutchinson catches up with the stars of hit musical Chicago.

THE grandest show of the Grand Opera House year, the national tour of Chicago, begins a fortnight's run in York on Tuesday.

You know the Oscar-swamped film, you know the Kander and Ebb songs, the Bob Fosse choreography, the smoky make-up, and all that jazz. You know the kiss-and-tell tale of Roxie Hart, the nightclub singer who kills her lover; Velma Kelly, the double-murderess who competes for press supremacy; and Billy Flynn, the slick lawyer with the power to save them from death row and transform them into stars.

For the first time, Chicago's stylised evocation of vaudeville and satire on the American justice system plays York next week with Claire Taylor in the role of Roxie and Rachel Stanley as Velma.

Claire is five weeks into her first run in Chicago, and competition was predictably hot to play Roxie. "I went along to the first audition in London, and five recalls later I got the job," she says. "I love the role. I love the fact Roxie is vindictive, manipulating, but she pretends to be sweet and innocent when she's everything but that. It's great to play because I'm not like that at all!"

Rachel, who has performed previously at the Grand Opera House in Chess, already has Chicago on her credits' list. Indeed, she played Roxie at the Adelphi Theatre, London, understudying Chita Rivera no less. "I was first cast change in the West End show, where I was originally cast as a Cell Block Girl, covering for Roxie, now Claire's part. That was five years ago, and it's quite a shock to be now playing Velma Kelly. I'm planning to go round all the roles!" she says.

"I found it a bit difficult at first in rehearsals as I had some muscle memory from before. I kept on wanting to do what Claire was doing!"

The two actresses have worked together previously, recently finishing their year-long appearance in Anything Goes at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. "I was Irma, and Claire was 'swing', slotting in if any ensemble girl or character role fell ill and covering my role as well," Rachel recalls. "When we auditioned together for Chicago, we said wouldn't it be great if we both got roles - and we did!

"I'm so lucky to be doing this role," she continues. "Velma is so different from Roxie and that's a new challenge. You have to be worldly wise, a little bit older than the other dancers - I'm 34 - and it's demanding on your acting skills, dancing skills and singing skills. Velma really has to be able to hoik her legs up! And you have that harder, vampy look."

Claire says Roxie is "such a demanding role" too: "I've never done anything close to this. The Fosse choreography really kills you, especially the back, so we have one massage at each venue, just to keep us on top of everything rather than getting to the point where the body screams out.

"There are high and lows in the acting as well. Right at the end I'm practically in tears; Roxie finds herself right back down there again but somehow she still picks herself up once more."

Singing had been Claire's strongest point before taking on the role of Roxie. "Now I'd like to do more straight acting, which I've not done before," she says.

Such thoughts are for the future. Chicago will keep her and Rachel on the road until next August. "It keeps me out of mischief," she jokes. "We're going to be in Beijing for Christmas; we'll be doing two shows on Christmas Day - they don't celebrate Christmas there. Talk about throwing us in it! It's going to be an amazing experience; it'll be my first time in China, and I'm lucky because my husband is in the show with me, so we'll spend Christmas together."

Chicago will bring new experiences to Claire, just as it did to Rachel five years ago. "I really learned a lot from Chita Rivera in that show. She said she was 67, and there she was with pins in her from a car crash years before, and each day she would have her knee drained and then perform at night. Amazing," says Rachel.

"She gave me one really good bit of advice: the stiller you are on stage, the more commanding you are. I've never forgotten that."

Chicago, Grand Opera House, York, October 26 to November 6. Performances: Monday to Thursday, 7.30pm; Wednesdays, 2.30pm; first Friday, 5.30pm, 8.30pm; second Friday, 8.30pm; Saturdays, 5pm, 8pm. Tickets update: selling fast but still available, £17 to £35, with concessions; ring 0870 606 3595.

Updated: 09:28 Friday, October 22, 2004