BELA Roy, a lively five-year-old from Stretford will appear on the Opera House stage for 25 minutes during a performance of Ellen Kent’s Madame Butterfly.

She was selected by Stagecoach Performing Arts, Salford, to play Sorrow, the daughter of Cio-Cio San, who hopes to rename her Joy if former lover Sgt Pinkerton comes back to Japan from the USA.

He does return, but with his new American wife and this drives Cio-Cio San to suicide.

Bela has yet to meet Maria Hee Jung Kim, a soprano and graduate of the National Opera in Seoul, Korea who will play her stage mother.

Her real mum, Fiona, said: “We sent her to Stage Coach a year ago to get her used to listening to instructions and to express herself confidently.”

She is certainly confident now and enjoys standing up and singing The Flower Song which she will sing in a forthcoming Stagecoach show

At the Opera House she says the word ‘Mama’

Bela, a pupil of St Hugh of Lincoln, Glastonbury Road, Stretford, said: “It will be nice to go on a big stage with lots of grown-ups and an orchestra."

Fiona, 32, who works at Royal Bank of Scotland’s Operations Centre in Manchester, along with Bela’s dad, Roy, 35, said: “She will practise from 5pm on the day.”

Bela enjoys her Saturday morning classes in Salford.

Roy said: “It is good that she is continuing with these extra-curricular activities. We can see the difference in her.

Fiona and Roy are looking forward to seeing the show.

* Madame Butterfly is at the Opera House,Manchester on Saturday, March 10.

Tickets from 08448 713 018 or atgtickets.com/Manchester.