A THEATRE super fan achieved a lifetime's ambition after she appeared on the West End stage and received a standing ovation from a packed out crowd.

Diane Neve from Ormesby was among a chorus of voices who were picked to perform at London's Lyric theatre as part of an online talent contest.

The Search For A Twitter Star competition pitted ten young voices against each other live on stage, before a judging panel and a public vote whittled it down to two winners - one girl and one boy.

The contest was initiated on micro-blogging site Twitter, which the public later used to vote for their favourite singer, and it was through the social networking site that Diane managed to land her spot in the limelight.

The 61-year-old, who has been using Twitter for three years, noticed the competition's organiser and fellow 'tweeter' @westendproducer was looking for choir members to perform in the grand final.

After sending off her performing credentials - which includes singing lessons with local teacher John Roper and performances with the Great Yarmouth Operatic and Dramatic Society - she was called up to audition for a part in the chorus.

And just 24 hours later she found herself on stage in front of a huge audience.

Diane said: 'To stand on a west end stage and look down on a standing ovation was the most amazing experience ever.

'It's a life time's ambition and I just didn't think it would come true at my age. The youngest was 16 and the oldest person was me.'

As part of the chorus she rushed onto the stage after the curtain call to perform the show's final number, which involved all the contestants and some guest singers.;

'There was a curtain call and then a black out and we had 30 seconds to get on the stage,' Diane added. 'When the lights came up again we were just all there.'

And unlike a normal theatre performance, members of the audience were encouraged to leave their phones on and keep online running commentary on the final last Monday.

Its constant mention on Twitter meant that it was soon 'trending' - meaning it was one of the most talked about topics by users of the site.

Diane, a mum of one, said: 'We were trending all Monday night and Tuesday morning, which was brilliant.

'You're never too old to have your dreams come true, I can die happy now,' she added.