MATTHEW Ainsworth was more into sports and football than drama when he was at school.

Then he went with a couple of mates to auditions for the musical Seven Brides For Seven Brothers.

There, his Thirsk School drama teacher Richard Bainbridge “more or less forced me to audition”, he recalled. “He said, ‘right, you get up there and sing’. I’d never really sung a song in my life, apart from messing around and things like that.”

He ended up being cast as one of the brothers. He was 16 at the time. “As someone who’d never done it before getting a principal part was pretty scary. But when I started doing it, I enjoyed the rehearsal process so much,” he said.

“I picked up music and theatre quite late, and since that show it’s developed into a passion. I dropped sport to do it.”

Matthew, 22, works at the Black Lion in Thirsk and is a member of local band My Forever as well as performing with local amateur musical societies.

Next week he appears in his biggest part yet in York Musical Theatre Company’s production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Aspects Of Love. The role of student Alex Dillingham, who embarks on a passionate affair with older actress Rose Vibert, was taken by Michael Ball in the original production. The rights to Aspects Of Love, which Matt has not seen on stage, were released for amateurs this year.

“I did a bit of research, listened to the soundtrack and thought, ‘wow, I have to be part of this show’.

Aspects Of Love runs from Monday to Saturday, April 5, at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre, Tickets from York Theatre Royal box office 01904-623568 and online yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.