SALLY Firth, 47, who has been to see Les Miserables on stage an incredible 958 times says the new film of the show is 'absolutely brilliant.'

But Sally, of King's Stanley, near Stonehouse, says she doubts she will get the bug for the film in the same way as she has for the stage musical.

She saw it last Monday, January 14 at the Apollo in Stroud.

"I might go and see it just once more so I can take a better look at the people in the background - a lot of them are from the West End show," she said.

"But I'm not a film buff and I doubt I shall go again after that."

However, her mum Diana was not as impressed by the new film, starring Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe.

"I didn't like it," said Diana. "It was a big disappointment to me."

Sally, who reckons she has seen Les Miserables more times than anyone on earth, said: "I thought the film was absolutely brilliant and I'm sure it'll be winning a few Oscars.

"The film has been made so that the story is much easier to understand than the stage version.

"I know people who have not been sure what is going on at all on stage but the film makes it all very clear.

"Hugh Jackman was very good, just as I expected, and I was very pleasantly surprised with Russell Crowe.

"Mum liked Anne Hathaway best and she certainly was very good."

The last time Sally went to a stage production of Les Mis was last month, just three days before Christmas.

Sally is so obsessed with seeing every possible performance of the show that she has already spent well over £50,000 on the 'hobby.'

"I just never tire of it. But I'm not the only one - there are an awful lot of people these days who keep going back again and again," said the children's nursery worker.

Sally has seen Les Mis all over the country as well as in New York and Stockholm but has recently been concentrating of her efforts on the London show and travels up once or twice a month.