An actress has landed a West End role after quitting showbusiness to have a baby.

Natasha Lamar will star in Factor 2025, a new production at the Hailsham Pavilion next week, which moves on to the Leicester Square Theatre in London in February.

Her audition for the lead role of Melissa in the production about a TV talent show in the year 2025 was her first after having her son, Lucas, now aged two.

Natasha lives in Brighton with Lucas and her mother Jacqui, who works full time and is preparing to juggle motherhood with her stage career.

The 28-year-old single mother said: “I’m lucky that I live with my mum and she will take some time off work to look after Lucas while I’m working.

“He has just started nursery in the mornings and the West End show will be in the evenings – and Lucas really loves his nana.

“It’s all a bit nerve-wracking because the last time I was on a stage was when I was pregnant.”

Natasha graduated from drama school LAMDA in 2006 and performed in a series of productions, but gave up show business in 2011 to become a mother.

She was approached by Johnny Tait, the show’s writer and producer, to audition and won the role from hundreds of auditionees.

Natasha said: “I never decided I was giving it up for the rest of my life but this is unexpected, especially moving on to the West End.”

Factor 2025 is billed as “a cynical, comical and highly controversial look at the exploitation of television talent show participants” as it explores the depths to which the show’s producer will sink to revive his ailing programme.

Mr Tait, a published author and a comedian who has supported singer and impressionist Joe Longthorne, said: “When Natasha came to rehearsals, she seemed nervous, but she is a natural actress. Her role is extremely demanding as throughout the production her character demonstrates a variety of emotions with a dramatic twist at the conclusion.”

Factor 2025 is at Hailsham Pavilion on September 27.

For details and tickets, people are asked to visit pavilion hailsham.co.uk.