A talented actress who has only been treading the boards for a year could be picked to join the cast of the highly-acclaimed West End musical Bombay Dreams.

Gita Mistry was amazed but "very excited and honoured" when she was called for a second audition to London.

She was one of hundreds of British Asian actors, dancers and singers who had performed in front of a panel of judges in their search for new talent for the show.

Bombay Dreams, produced by Andrew Lloyd-Webber and written by A R Rahman, has a 90 per cent Asian cast.

Last October, Mr Lloyd-Webber launched a national search for new acting talent.

Gita, of Clayton Heights, was one of the finalists picked to display their potential. She is now waiting to hear whether she will be invited to take part in a week-long workshop in March, with the chance for a full-time role in the hit show.

Gita, a human resources manager at Bradford Coun-cil, said: "I never dreamed that I would get asked down again.

"It was really good fun and I have brought the experience back to Bradford with me.

"I enjoy the teamwork and creativity of acting. It is also a good outlet from work.

"Whatever happens, I am really pleased to get this far.

"Bombay Dreams is a magical show. It really would be a dream to be part of it."

Gita began acting at Waverley Middle School, Bradford, but did not return to the stage until a year ago. She was in three shows last year with the Asian Theatre Company. She believes there is a lot of untapped Asian talent in the country.

"Opportunities are increasing now," she said. "As more Asians star on television, it is becoming more recognised, whereas before it wasn't readily accepted by the Asian community."

Since it opened last June, the show has been a sell-out.

Mr Lloyd-Webber said: "When we first started the project we carried out national auditions to find a cast that we felt would do justice to the story, music and lyrics.

"We have done that, and now we feel it is time to offer this amazing opportunity to others too."