Forty years ago John Cooper walked up the conifer-lined drive to the E.15 Acting School to start a lifetime career in theatre.

What happened subsequently forms the basis of his semi-autobiographical musical play, Drama Queen, which previews in York next week before its Edinburgh Fringe run.

The early 1960s were a heady time for aspiring young actors such as Cooper - now artistic director of Stagecoach Youth Theatre York - and his early theatrical experiences are served up in this world premiere, garnished with the music of British rock legends Queen.

In his youth Cooper worked with or met the likes of David Bowie, Lindsay Kemp and Paul McCartney and these memories now feed his new musical.

"There were the gate-crashed parties off the Kings Road featuring film stars and fashion icons behaving badly; the notorious late-night auditions in Mayfair's Half Moon Street; dressing and undressing the West End stars; and pounding the repertory circuits," he says. "Examples of many real-life episodes are lovingly recreated and embellished in Drama Queen."

Cooper says the show has been "buzzing around" his head for five years. "It finally took only five weeks to complete but the process before putting pen to paper was considerably more arduous," he says. "When I first had the idea of using a selection of Queen's music and lyrics, I wrote to Queen manager Jim Beach in St. Moritz.

"He responded, suggesting a synopsis and draft script needed to be approved, but at that point in the story my life dramatically changed with the opportunity of buying Trinity Hall as a base for Stagecoach."

Drama Queen was put on hold. "However, five years later I've been assured that I can use excerpts from such classics as I Want It All, Don't Stop Me Now and Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy."

As with the Stagecoach production of Cabaret last month, Cooper has taken on sole direction but this time he is joined by choreographer Eric Carpenter, who will be making major contributions to Drama Queen.

Five of the select company of six are female and the majority have been with Cooper most of their young performing lives. "Working and living together for a fortnight in Edinburgh under considerable daily pressure is a very different scenario from the normal Stagecoach schedule and, consequently, we become very much a family," says Cooper.

In his cast are Annie Ormond, who plays Jude; Sarah Crompton, Mandy; Stacey Johnstone, Lola; Felicity Skiera, Luce; Zoe Roberts, Sophie; and Alan Crompton, Barry.

Although the staging for Drama Queen promises to be simple - by necessity of playing the Fringe - the company will be travelling with three intriguing pieces of furniture: a costume rail, a wheelchair and an ambulance stretcher.

Drama Queen runs at Trinity Hall, Monkgate, York, from Wednesday to Saturday at 8pm nightly, then transfers to the Apex City Hotel, Grassmarket, for the Edinburgh Fringe run from August 11 to 23. York tickets cost £6, concessions £4, on 01904 674675.

Updated: 09:08 Friday, August 01, 2003