Hello, I'm Krestey Young, and this is a podcast from the Desert Island Discs archive.

For rights reasons, we've had to shorten the music.

The program was originally broadcast in 2008. My castaway this week is the actress Ruthie Henschel, a West End and Broadway star she has performed in many of the most successful

musical productions of the past 20 years including Miss Saigon,

Miss Arabler and Cats. In Chicago she played Roxy, a defining role that left reviewers and audiences breathless at

witnessing a megawatt talent shine in all its dazzling brilliance.

However, off-stage, her life has often been defined more by shade than light. As a child she endured a volatile

home life that was further scarred by abuse and as an adult she suffered mental breakdown.

Now she's happily married with two young daughters, but of the dark days behind her she says,

I'd spent so many years entertaining and pretending everything was all right,

but no matter where you get to, it's never never enough you're always looking for the next thing

Ruthie Henschel it sounds as if you were propelled through life from probably quite a young age to perform

yes I think I was. I've always thought of my life as a little bit like being on an express train that I couldn't get off of.

It was going so fast that I couldn't see the scenery either,

but I had an unbelievable drive

since being a child and when I found dancing it was like somebody to turn the light on in my

life and so I couldn't get enough of it.

What's the sensation when you're on stage?

Oh, I always look at theatre as my church really.

There is nothing that gives me that feeling. I'm totally passionate about what I do. It really fulfills me.

Does that make it difficult to be off the stage?

It makes it like a double life. I love my home life and I love my

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