A FRENCH heroine is the subject of a new musical inspired by a writer who rediscovered his great aunt’s history book.

Robert Bromley Davis has teamed up with composer and director Mark Britton to launch Joan of Arc the musical.

Speaking today at the launch of the auditions for the show at Chiltern Shopping Centre, High Wycombe, Mr Davis, a marketing executive, said reading his great aunt’s book was inspirational.

“I was clearing out my parents house and came across a little book by my great aunt, who was a history teacher.

"She wrote a number of books about historical characters. I read it and ‘boom’ I couldn’t stop writing - I was completely obsessed,” he said.

It is the first time Mr Davis, who has written the story and song lyrics, has ever been involved with creating a stage show.

“This is something completely different for me. I’m absolutely thrilled and it’s amazing how people have already been attracted to getting involved,” he said.

Mr Davis and director Mark Britton, formerly artistic director of the Beaconsfield Youth Theatre, auditioned the first hopefuls this morning.

Mr Davis said they are looking for a “powerful character” who can act as well as sing.

There are a number of technical challenges, such as the scene where Joan is burnt at the stake, said Mr Britton, who has been involved with various stage shows in Buckinghamshire and the Wooburn Festival.

However, the director said it is a exciting challenge and one he hopes residents from the Wycombe area will play a full role in.

“We want to make it into a community event, it’s important to us that we do that.

We’re incorporating people from all around Wycombe from kids to older people.”

Laura-Jo Stocks, 25, who works for Transport for Buckinghamshire, was one of the hopefuls who sang at the shopping centre for the auditions.

Aylesbury resident Miss Stocks, who once appeared alongside Keith Chegwin and Linda Nolan in a Cinderella pantomime, said: “It’s really exciting, I haven’t heard of anything like this in the area.

“It’s a bit nerve wracking when you get up there but you relax into it.”

Stacey Barrett, 31, a communications manager of Wheelers Park, High Wycombe, said before taking the mic: “It will be petrifying because it always is.”

The lead roles will be announced at The Swan Theatre on the evening of May 2 during “Cirque de Musique”, The Mayor’s concert.

Rehearsals will start in September and the show will start on November 4.