FRANCES Thorburn grins as she admits she’s never had a drug problem, a showbiz mum who pushed her as soon as she was out of nappies - and she’s never had an affair with a gay man.

But despite all that, she says (and you have to agree with the Glasgow-born actress/singer) she’s perfectly placed to play Judy Garland.

Frances stars this week in the Oran Mor play Frances and Ethel, the story of one night in the life of Judy Garland (her real name was Frances Gumn) and her mother, Ethel.

“It’s set in New York in 1961, the day before Judy opens at Carnegie Hall, when Judy was set to make her big comeback.

“She’s been ill with hepatitis, put on weight, and mother and daughter are rewinding on their life.

“But the play really asks the question ‘How much do you love your daughter?’ The story asks if Garland would have ever have become such a big star if her mother hadn’t been pushing her.”

Was it tough love? Was it about her mother’s ego, bathing in the reflected glory?

There’s no doubt Garland had it tough. Her father was ‘a kind man’, but he was gay, and his series of affairs forced the family to continually up stakes and move to a new town.

The singer herself married singer Vincent Minelli, who was gay.

But the traumatic personal life apart, Frances will no doubt offer a great Garland to the west end audience.

“I’ve listened to Judy records since I was a little girl, and I love her voice.

“I’m not trying to do a copy of this in the play, which has some music, but I’ll be offering an interpretation.

“She was such a great performer.

Frances may not have had the hard knocks Judy Garland received, the American star pushed on stage with her sisters as a two year-old as part of her parents’ act.

But thankfully, she didn’t have to surrender her childhood, as did Judy.

“I’ve got a great mum. I wanted to perform since an early age and I was always at dancing classes and singing.

“But my mum wouldn’t let me go to join drama group until I was in double figures.”

The sensible parenting in her south side of Glasgow home worked.

However former RSAMD student Frances, hasn’t walked a yellow brick road all the way to finding acting and singing success.

“No, it’s been tough at times,” she recalls. “I started busking one Christmas Eve for fun,” she recalls.

“I made up some backing tapes and I did quite well. For some reason, whenever I sand Elton John’s Your Song people would almost always drop a pound coin in my box.

“And I managed to sell a few copies of my album, which was nice.

“But a few years later when work was hard to find and I started busking again, out of necessity. I was singing to get money for food.

“And I felt it was quite hard to do when you’re dependent on the money.”

Frances adds; “People think because you’re a performer it’s easy to go out there and sing, but it’s not. I’m not always that confident.

“And it can be tough when you’re freezing.”

In recent times however, Frances has enjoyed a warm spotlight. She has appeared in stage play Glasgow Girls, in several Oran Mor productions including playing Marilyn Monroe.

Frances is a panto regular and she had a River City run, in which she played a politician's wife Hannah Morrison, alongside screen hubby Colin McCredie.

The actress also worked in London for six years, appearing in Fiddler On The Roof at the Savoy Theatre and enjoying stints at the likes of the Globe Theatre with Anthony and Cleopatra.

But singing and acting talent apart, how can she truly convince as Judy if she hasn’t had a life beset by tragedy?

“Well, there are connections with Judy Garland,” she says, grinning.

“By coincidence I’m actually headed to Carnegie Hall just days after playing Judy.

“I’m going to see piano player Lance Horne who is the musical director for Alan Cumming, who will be opening his new album.

“I met Alan, who has played with Liza Minelli, when I was busking in Glasgow who said he liked my voice and I went to see him perform at the Arches.”

That’s nice. But where is the alcoholism, the dependencies, the five marriages Garland endured? How much Judy is there in you, Frances?

“Well, when I did hit double figures I got to join the drama group and I did appear as Dorothy in a production of The Wizard of Oz,” she says, smiling.

“That shows a connection with Judy, doesn’t it? I also watched A Star Is Born so many times. And don’t forget, she was really a Frances as well.

“I really was tickled pink when I realised we do have the same name.”

*Frances and Ethel also stars Alison Peebles and John Kielty, Oran Mor, until Saturday.