In her own words, Donna Hazelton’s life “truly began” at 40. Little more than six years ago, the Leven mother-of-five was working as a box office assistant at the Byre Theatre in St Andrews and showcasing her musical talent via various amateur musical societies in Fife and Dundee.
However, that all changed in 2004 when she entered a Channel 4 talent competition called Musicality on a whim after her cousin noticed the entry form in the Radio Times. Although Donna had missed the original deadline, the application period had been extended and her civil engineer husband Jon persuaded her to enter.
It marked the beginning of an incredible journey, which culminated in her winning the competition’s ultimate prize — the chance to star as Mama Morton in hit musical Chicago on London’s West End, alongside Jill Halfpenny who found fame in EastEnders and Strictly Come Dancing.
But in the midst of her latest project — playing the evil Queen Malicia in pantomime Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at Arbroath’s Webster Theatre — Donna is still as refreshingly enthusiastic about her late arrival in showbusiness as ever.
“The old adage that life begins at 40 might not be true for everyone,” she says. “But it certainly was for me. I thought it had just passed me by and I was quite happy doing am dram and my wee one-woman shows. I just didn’t think it would ever happen — I really did just get a lucky break.
“It was unbelievable — it got to the stage where I was the only person from Scotland left in the competition and it was very tough with a lot of younger, incredibly talented people. I was just happy getting to where I had got to, so to win was a wonderful surprise.
“Harry Hill describes the moment where I won perfectly — he keeps re-running it. You’re just in so much shock that you do grab your face as if your nose is falling off!”
However, achieving musical theatre success late in life came with a price. Although the majority of Donna’s children had grown up when she won the competition, her youngest daughter Rachel was just 14 — meaning she had to turn to her own mother, Anne, for much support and guidance.
“That was quite difficult,” she admits. “Even though Rachel wasn’t a young child when it happened, a teenager always needs their mum. But I had a lot of family support at home and my mum was a huge help. You do have to make a lot of sacrifices and your home life does take a bit of a back seat for a while. And, financially, it’s not always the way people think it is.
“When I’m resting, I still go back and work in the box office at the Byre Theatre — they’ve been so understanding at letting me do a few wee shifts whenever I’m off and when I was on Musicality they were brilliant. They treated it like their X Factor!
“It’s not an easy time to be a professional actor as theatre is one of the things which is hit hardest by the credit crunch. It’s one of the first things people cut back on.”
Sadly, Anne died in February at the age of 73 — and Donna admits she found herself having to take a six-month sabbatical to help come to terms with her grief.
“I needed some time out because my mum was one of my main influences,” she says. “But something I’ll always be grateful for is that she got to see me in Chicago.
“Unfortunately, my dad didn’t live to see that but I still believe he was there in some way. I actually think that he had a lot to do with me winning Musicality, though I know a lot of people would pooh-pooh that idea.”
However, determined to “come back with a bang” she won a much-coveted role in hit show Motherhood the Musical at the King’s Theatre in Glasgow this October, starring alongside Jane McCarry — more recognisable as busybody pensioner Isa Drennan from Still Game — and Leah McCrae, who recently starred in the BBC Scotland comedy Gary, Tank Commander.
“Jane McCarry is really quite young and glamorous,” Donna says. “It was funny to see her like that because you’re so used to her as Isa. Together, she and Leah were just hysterical.”
Donna’s other theatrical credits include the role of Barbara Cassidy, Eva Cassidy’s mother, in Over the Rainbow — the musical which charts the life of the singer up until her tragic death from cancer at the age of 33. However, her personal favourite is Lois in Girls Behind, a musical which she describes as “a kind of British Dream Girls”.
“Lois was a wee bit of a big head — quite spoiled, someone who had it all,” she says. “She was the lead singer of a girl group and it was case of pride coming before a fall as it was all taken away from her when her fiance, the manager of the band, ran away with her best friend. She has definitely been my favourite character so far.”
Now she is back into the swing of performing, Donna is relishing the challenge of the role of Snow White’s evil stepmother.
“It’s a great wee venue,” she says. “You can see how lovely it is since it’s been refurbished. We had great audiences last year and we’re all hoping we get the same people back this time. I’ve never been a baddie before so I’m really excited.
“And I always love coming home after I’ve been on tour and what’s so good about the Webster is that I can travel home after the show and it is just great to be home at Christmas.”
One of the main attractions of being in Fife over the festive period is undoubtedly getting to share in the excitement of her two grandsons, two-year-old Aron and 10-month-old Tommy.
“They’re maybe a wee bit wee for the panto yet,” she laughs. “But definitely next year!”Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is at the Webster Theatre until December 30. Visit www.webstertheatre.co.uk for more information.