An Officer and a Gentleman was the way to woo - Brighton and Southampton dates

“His mum had a collection of films many years ago and he stumbled across this one and he showed it to me. It's such a romantic film but I love the fact that it is also quite gritty as well. It's about love and about romance but also about dealing with the hardships in life and also it's got the phenomenal Richard Gere. Everyone was just so brilliantly cast, and my husband wanted me to see it.

“My husband and I just celebrated 20 years of marriage and it still rings true. He is still a hopeless romantic! It is just such a lovely film. For him it was just so intense, the first time he had seen something like suicide depicted in a film and also the first time he'd seen someone really fighting for the love that they believe in. It's one of those films that once you see it you just don't forget it. And to be doing it now is just fantastic for me. I was beside myself to be auditioned for it and when I got the part, it really was just coming full circle.”

An Officer and a Gentleman plays the Theatre Royal Brighton from April 23-27; Mayflower Theatre, Southampton from June 25-29; and the Congress Theatre, Eastbourne from September 17-21 – the emotional journey of Zack Mayo, a fearless young officer candidate, and the captivating Paula Pokrifki, whose fiery spirit matches his own. Their encounters ignite a spark that transcends boundaries, awakening a love that defies all odds.

“It's a film that just impacted on me so much, and when I got the script and looked through it, I realised that this is just a brilliant adaptation of it and the music they have added is just fantastic. I don't believe that anything should be absolutely copied or else it just isn't original but the way they've done it just translates so well to the stage. It gives you the story of the hope and the love and the romance and the despair, the way that they deal with the suicide and also the complex characters. But basically it's a story of hope and love. I have noticed that when we perform it, I think it’s the love and the hope that really come across to the crowd. It takes them on this emotional journey and they're transported back in time. But it has got a modern twist. The women were quite oppressed back in the day and but in this one the women are more powerful. There is much more woman empowerment and the women really do have a voice. I don't think it would have worked had it been just a complete rip from the 1980s! And they have added some classic tracks and the orchestration behind them is just fantastic. I get to sing a version of Kids In America but it's a really dark moody version of it and the mood that it creates is just fantastic.”

Wendi is playing Aunt Bunny : “She is strong willed and she is confident and she is no-nonsense. The flip side is she is very warm and caring.”