TWO stars of the Birmingham Royal Ballet who will perform the lead roles in Aladdin have spoken ahead of their visit to the Lowry.

Soloist Yaoqian Shang began her dancing career at the Beijing Dance Academy when she was nine and joined he Royal Ballet School at 16.

First Artist, Lachlan Monaghan is from Australia. He attended the McDonald College in Sydney and the Royal Ballet School when he was 17.

Lachlan said: “It’s quite nerve-racking. As an audience member you might think the pas de deux or solos are the most difficult.

“It is actually the transitions, interactions with other characters and the props that are more difficult.

Yaoqian will also play an attendant as well as the Princess.

“I’ll be wearing sapphires and rubies found in Aladdin’s Cave,” she said.

“All my roles are quite short so it’s not like I’m on the go all the time.

“I like to switch off after rehearsals. The next day I’ll go through corrections to see what I have to work on.”

Lachlan said he liked to switch off in the evenings – watch TV, listen to music and do all those normal things people do.

“There are challenging lifts in Aladdin. Holding Yaoqian’s weight I have to go down on one knee to the floor. We have laughed at the crash landings!”

• Aladdin is at the Lowry from September 20 - 23. For tickets, ring 0843 208 6003 or see website