After a seven-year stretch banged up on the small screen, the infamous inmates and screws of HMP Larkhall are breaking out onto the stage in Bad Girls - The Musical.

Written by the creators of the popular TV series, the show is a dangerous mix of deception, romance, riots and revenge, featuring many of the original characters of G-Wing.

Skipton actress Elaine Glover, 23, says that although the show blends hard-hitting drama with heartwarming comedy, and big song and dance numbers, it has a serious point to make about women's prisons.

"It has really opened my eyes to the reality of life in a prison, " she says.

"Women get treated appallingly within the prison system, often getting sent down for fairly minor offences. It's particularly tough for mothers, they don't even get dispensation to ring their children when they go into prison.

"I got chance to visit the set of the TV version of Bad Girls and even though it's a set of a prison it's frighteningly realistic. I felt sorry for the poor cast having to work in that environment every day, there was quite a chilling feel to the place."

Bad Girls - The Musical is set against the battle of new, idealistic wing governor Helen Stewart against the old guard of corrupt officer Jim Fenner and his righthand woman, Sylvia "Bodybag" Hollamby.

On the other side of the bars, Shell Dockley, her sidekick Denny Blood, Bible-basher Crystal Gordon, the Two Julies and gangster's moll Yvonne Atkins have their own feuds to settle. When Helen Stewart's job is on the line and Fenner looks set to take over it takes friends in low places to turn events around.

The cast includes stars of the TV series, including Laura Rogers who played Sheena Williams, and Nicole Faraday, alias Snowball.

Elaine plays Rachel Hicks, a young mother sent down for drugs offences. "She was found with two Ecstasy tablets and convicted of possession with intent to supply but she's innocent of that, " says Elaine.

"It's her first time 'inside' and she's easy prey for the likes of Shell and Denny. Rachel has had to leave her baby behind and she doesn't cope well with that, or with being in prison.

"It's a challenge because the role is emotional and on top of that we've got all the songs and dances. The music is a mix of funny and moving songs from ballads to showtime numbers.

"There are lots of fantasy sequences, it's an incredible set that allows lots of things to happen in small spaces.

Like the TV series, it's escapism. It doesn't take itself seriously but it does address some issues about prison life, it helps us see them in an acceptable light."

Colin Richmond's inventive set design uses the entire depth of the Quarry stage to capture the essence of Larkhall and the dramas that go on behind its walls.

There have been bookings for the show from all over the world. Elaine says part of the appeal of Bad Girls is that it offers an insight into a world most of us know nothing about.

"Unless you've been in prison or worked in one you can't understand what it's like to spend so much time there, " she says.

"Women prisoners love Band Girls on TV, I think they liked the fact that the show portrayed the women as real people dealing with problems or having a laugh, not just one-dimensional baddies.

"It's escapism; it's entertainment, not a documentary."

Elaine is used to escapism, having appeared in Footballers' Wives and the ITV2 follow-up, Footballers' Wives Extra. Straight after finishing drama school two years ago she landed the role of Katie, a girl who was raped by an Earls Park footballer then took a job as nanny to Tanya and Conrad to seek her revenge.

"It was great, a lot of fun and a real learning experience. This business can be frightening and I'm lucky to have had some really good work so far, " she says.

Elaine was at the Playhouse last year starring in The Lemon Princess, a powerful play about a young woman suffering from Creutzfeld Jakobs Disease, then she starred in the musical Sex, Chips and Rock 'n' Roll in Manchester.

"It's great to be doing another musical, I'm a singer and I play guitar and piano so to be doing a show like this is fantastic, " she says.

"I keep saying I'm going to start writing and performing music but it's finding the time that's the hard part. I'm not complaining though - I'm just delighted that the work keeps coming!"

Bad Girls - The Musical runs at the West Yorkshire Playhouse from May 31 to July 1. For tickets ring (0113) 213 7700.