Brooke takes on Roxie

When Jennifer Ellison starred as Roxie Hart in the hit musical Chicago she called it 'hard work, very tiring' - and she was only 21.

Now Brooke Shields, who turns 40 next month, is to take on the role that involves singing, dancing and acting for nearly two-and-a-half hours at a stretch, eight times a week.

But as she poses in Roxie's vampish dress and holding a smoking gun, Miss Shields proves she's more than fit enough to follow in the stiletto-heeled footsteps of those who have preceded her in the West End production.

A Chicago spokesman said: 'She's going to bring some great pizzazz, sex appeal and excitement to the part. Brooke has an amazing star quality and looks absolutely fantastic.' She will appear at the Adelphi Theatre for nine weeks from April 26.

The actress shot to fame aged 12 as a child prostitute in Pretty Baby and in 1981 played a marooned teenager in The Blue Lagoon.

She was married to tennis player Andre Agassi for two years and later married writer Chris Henchy, with whom she has a two-year-old daughter.