Interview: Arlene Stuart passes on the dancing gene

In the case of County Durham child, Elliot, constant pressure from his over-bearing father was what eventually forced him to swap boxing gloves for a pair of ballet shoes. It all begs the question, do parents really try to live through their children?

Caitlin Hutchinson thinks so. The 15-year-old is busy rehearsing for her performance with Lothian Youth Arts & Musicals' adaptation of the Billy Elliot musical, next week.

However, Caitlin's mum – Forth one Breakfast Show presenter and self-confessed frustrated actress Arlene Stuart – is keen to actualise her own unfulfilled dreams of accomplishment through Caitlin's superior talents. Right, Caitlin?

"Yes, definitely," she affirms. "She is a bit pushy and always on my back. She thinks I'm the best thing since sliced bread – she makes me play piano in front of people, sometimes having to bribe me to do so.

"I suppose she does it because she used to be in a theatre group herself. She's also been trying to help me with my tap-dancing and telling me how to project myself. But it's like, shut up, mum, I know what I'm doing."

Strong words, but what does mum have to say to about it?

"My own mum was the same with me," Arlene reveals. "She did various odd jobs to bring me up, so I suppose she pushed me to do the things she never had the chance to do.

"I'm the same. I'm a born showoff, and I think deep down inside me is an actress waiting for her big break.

"Because I feel my time is running out, I'm now pushing my daughter in the same way. Living my life through her is almost a natural thing, and while Caitlin doesn't want to hear what I have to say, I can't keep my mouth shut. Working in television and hosting events, you learn to be slightly larger than life so I'm constantly encouraging her to not look at her feet and to project out towards the audience.

"Right now, I'm trying to show her how to tap-dance, even though I don't know how, although I think I do. It's a hoot, but I'm sure she's thinking to herself, 'For God's sake, leave me alone you stupid old woman'."

Caitlin adds,"It can be nerve-wracking just performing, but when your mum is in the audience, it makes you even more nervous. I guess she can be quite helpful, but it can be more beneficial watching all the other people rehearsing with you. So many of them are amazingly talented.

"But whenever I'm about to come on, my mum is usually shaking with nerves. I suppose it's because she's been a performer too – I once watched an old DVD of her as Tracy Lord in a production of High Society, it was quite cringy."

Arlene admits, "I'm a bag of nerves when I watch her. But after the show is over I immediately want to announce that she is my daughter, the fruit of my loins. I probably irritate her more than help, though, because I'm so blunt. And while she might take some of it onboard, she would never admit to it because it's not cool, and cool is very important when you're 15.

"I just see it as my job to offer advice and get her to make the most out of the opportunities she gets."

However, unlike Billy Elliot's dad, not only does Arlene approve of what her daughter does, her own talents may well rub off along the way – even if mum's help does make Caitlin look un-cool.

Billy Elliot, Church Hill Theatre, Morningside Road, Tuesday-Saturday, 7.30pm (matinee 2.30pm), 10, 0131-447 7597