A Putney pensioner will finally achieve her dream of appearing on a West End stage - after losing a third of her body weight.

Two years ago Mary Bennett wore a size 22 and weighed 15 stone 4 pounds, with such poor health that she used an oxygen mask at night to help her breathe.

The trained drama teacher could only dream of treading the boards herself, as the job would have been too physically demanding.

But now, a slender size 12 and weighing just 9 stone 10, she has won her first professional role and will star in the House of Bernarda Alba at the New Players Theatre in October.

Mrs Bennett, 61, said: “When I was heavier my blood pressure was through the roof.

“I could never have gone on the stage at that weight because of the energy it required.

“It affected my confidence too, and I was at a low, and didn’t know what to do with my life.

“But losing the weight has really turned my life around.”

Following a Slimming World plan, where users can eat meat and fish on ‘red’ days, and pasta and grains on ‘green’ days, Mrs Bennett has maintained her new, slim figure for nearly a year.

“The advantage of it is that you can eat a great deal. You can have as much pasta and rice as you like on green days,” she said.

“And if I go away, I make sure I cook food to take with me, and if I go out to eat I have the sauce on the side and ask for my food to be grilled.”

Her health has now improved so much that she has stopped using the oxygen mask entirely, much to the surprise of her doctors.

“The staff at St George’s couldn’t believe it. I had sleep apnea, [a disorder characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep], and doctors thought I would need the mask for life.”

After completing an acting course at the London Centre for Theatre Studies, she landed the part of the senile grandmother, Maria Josefa, in Federico Garcia Lorca’s play.

“Going on the stage has always been at the back of my mind. It was in the genes - my mother was a drama teacher and I always enjoyed performing.

“This is just my introduction to the stage. I’m going to go for more work after this.”

John Osborne’s A Patriot for Me and Lorca’s The House of Bernarda Alba are on at the New Players Theatre from October 2.