A dancer from Medway is making her West End debut as the hit show Dirty Dancing returns to London.

Tara Verloop has been touring with the record-breaking musical for the last 12 months – and now in a surprise move the production is making a reprise in the West End.

Tara, 21, is part of the ensemble and also stands in for two of the main characters, playing dancer Penny and Baby’s sister Lisa Houseman.

Medway people will remember Tara as Cinderella at The Central Theatre, opposite former EastEnders actor Joe Swash. She took the role in 2008, while she was still a pupil at Chatham Grammar School for Girls.

Since then Tara, who trained at the Toni Moss Academy in Strood, has completed a three-year performing arts course at Performers College in Essex.

After achieving a National Trinity Diploma in Musical and Dance Theatre, she landed her first job with Dirty Dancing.

Tara said: “When I went for the audition, I never thought I’d get it. It is a dream come true for me. And it is really exciting to be making my West End debut.

“As a dancer it is a great show to be involved with. It is the perfect job because the ensemble are on stage so much and all the dancing is really challenging.”

The musical, based on the 1987 film starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey follows the story of Frances “Baby” Houseman.

She is on holiday with her family when she stumbles upon the resort’s staff quarters when an all-night dance party is in full swing. There, she meets dance instructor Johnny Castle who introduces her to the world of Latin dance.

Tara added: “I love Dirty Dancing and the audiences we get absolutely love it. They are waiting for those iconic moments like the lift at the end and the watermelon line.”

• Dirty Dancing opens at the Piccadilly Theatre in London on Saturday. Visit www.dirtydancinglondon.com or call 0844 871 7630.