When Laura Main was a young girl growing up in Aberdeen, trips to Edinburgh to see shows at the Edinburgh Playhouse were always a highlight. Little did she know that, via a five-year stint playing Sister Shelagh Turner on BBC drama Call the Midwife, she'd be treading those boards herself – covered in green paint.

'I've been waiting a long time for an adventure like this to come along, and now that it has, I'm ready to swap the surgery for the swamp,' says Main of her role as Princess Fiona in Shrek: The Musical. 'I've never performed at the Playhouse before and I'm very excited about playing such a huge theatre.

'When I was younger, we used to travel to see the really big shows there, instead of making the longer trip to London. And I had a wonderful month performing a new musical at the Pleasance during the Edinburgh Fringe in 2008, so I've got a great fondness for the city.'

Inspired by the 2001 film, which itself was inspired by William Steig's 1990 picture book, Shrek: The Musical has been entertaining audiences around the world since 2008, picking up an Olivier Award during its London run. And, just like the film, it ends with the Monkees' hit that has the whole crowd on its feet. As Main says, 'Shrek is one of my favourite musicals; it's made a Believer out of me.'

Edinburgh Playhouse, Tue 12–Sat 30 Dec.