'BREAK a leg' took on a whole new meaning when a member of a drama group's production team came a cropper.
Amanda Rose broke her ankle in two places, just a month before a cabaret show she helped devise was due to take to the stage.
True to the adage "the show must go on," the show director bravely battled through with the help of a wheelchair and crutches to a triumphant conclusion before enthusiastic audiences.
After months of preparing for the production of Bon Voyage with the Showtimers Amateur Dramatic Society, things went askew when the 46-year-old suffered a motorcycle accident whilst on holiday in France.
Mrs Rose, who works in Leatherhead, said: "It was a silly little accident. The bike toppled over and I got my ankle caught in the luggage pannier.
"I broke both ankle bones, and had to go to East Surrey Hospital for an operation to re-set the bones."
Determined not to let her team and audiences down however, the 46-year-old added: "It was uncomfortable and caused a lot of aggravation but there was no way I was going to give up on the show.
"Of course I had to put up with all the 'break a leg' comments after I came back following the accident."
Her return to rehearsals was just four days after the operation.
Mrs Rose, who works as a software tester for BMJ Informatica based in Thorncroft Drive, continued: "The cast members were absolutely fantastic.
"They presented me with a bouquet of flowers and a card when I came back to rehearsals."
The show was held from August 29 to 31 in Nutfield Village Hall.
Mrs Rose said she could not have got through it without the staunch support of her daughter Lauren, who was also in the production, and musical director Arthur Dyer.
Colin Dalton, the group's president, said: "Amanda told me she had a little row with a motorcycle a few weeks before the show but I didn't know the circumstances.
"Her efforts were marvellous in carrying on regardless. It really showed her dedication to the production.
"She didn't appear on stage afterwards for the curtain call – our stage is accessible by a small flight of steps, and we could not get her up there."
Mr Dalton said drama group members usually did not need anything more than a few aspirins to get them through a show if they were struggling with a cold or the flu. But he added: "We did have an actor Daniel Woods who broke his leg about five years ago and then went on stage with crutches. It was a production about the French Revolution. I think many of the audience thought his crutches were props for his performance."