FANCY a game of chess? If the game’s not your forte then why not head to the theatre and watch a few games? As Chess: The Musical is coming to town.

Directed by Craig Revel Horwood, the story tells of two of the world’s greatest chess champions, one American and one Russian, as they fight to win the heart of love interest Florence Vassy. But how does it feel to be the centre of a fictional love triangle?

Shona White, 34, who plays Florence has an impressive CV that includes shows such as The Rocky Horror Show, Mamma Mia and WICKED.

Originally from Fife, Scotland, Shona currently lives in South East London and has been playing the role of Florence since August 2010.

“Florence is a great character to play because she’s very feisty,” said Shona. “The role was originally played by Elaine Paige, so I had big shoes to step into but I’m really enjoying it.”

It’s no surprise that Shona loves being a part of Chess: The Musical as she’s certainly no stranger to singing a song or two. But with so many successful shows to look back on, what’s been a highlight of her career so far?

“One of my favourite shows to work on was WICKED,” said Shona. “It is one of the best female roles in theatre because Elphaba, the character that I played, goes on a journey throughout the story and goes from being a girl to a becoming a woman.

“I played Elphaba for six months and the music was just amazing to sing and the end of the first act is one of the best in theatre.”

Shona has also been busy recording her debut album, with a release date planned for later this year. Coinciding well with her theatre career, Shona “Half of the album is musical theatre songs that I have done in the past and the other half is traditional Scottish folk songs and 60’s pop covers by Dusty Springfield and Lulu,” explained Shona.

“So far I’ve recorded eight tracks and I’ve got four more left to do. I don’t see it as a career change as it will just go alongside my theatre work, but it is a nice thing to have and to keep forever.”

Often people wonder if a career in theatre can end up being repetitive as some actors play the same characters for years on end, but Shona loves the whole experience.

“When you play the same character for a year then it certainly gets easier to remember your lines and feel comfortable in the role,” said Shona. “But the nerves of your last performance never go away because whenever you take the show to a new town, you’re performing in front of a fresh audience and that keeps it exciting.”

But would Shona ever return to the many wonderful roles she has portrayed in the past?

“I wouldn’t mind going back to WICKED as I loved that role,” she laughed. “But obviously I’d love to do new roles as well. I’d like to star in We Will Rock You.”

It’s a definite certainty that Shona’s career will continue to be hugely successful as Chess: The Musical is travelling to Toronto, Canada in the near future and there’s also plans to take it to the West End.

But if you’d like to catch a glimpse of Shona’s great performance and the fantastic story of Chess: The Musical then head down to the Wycombe Swan theatre where it will be showing from Tuesday, March 29 to Saturday, April 2.

For more information and to book tickets visit www.wycombeswan.co.uk or call 01494 512000.