THE star of a musical about girls’ mag Jackie has revealed she is mobbed by middle-aged mums everywhere she goes.

Telly star Janet Dibley said the celebration of the teen mag printed by Sunday Post publisher DC Thomson between 1964 and 1993 has struck a chord with former readers.

The 57-year-old Holby actor said: “The response has been totally overwhelming.”

Hit show Jackie The Musical has played to packed houses across the UK and is now set to hit a number of Scottish venues.

It tells how grown-up Jackie – played by Dibley – copes after her husband leaves her for a younger woman.

Many of the mag’s middle aged mums have told Janet how closely they identify with the role.

“I have been approached by countless women whose husbands disappeared into the night with another woman,” she said.

“They tell me they got as much support from this musical as when Jackie’s Cathy and Claire page advised on their teenage romances.

“They seem able to smile through everything. I guess that’s the motto for survival in middle-age.”

Jackie was one of Britain’s best-selling teen magazines in the 1970s, with a sale in excess of 600,000 copies in 1976. Its Cathy and Claire problem page received hundreds of letters a week.

Janet, who played Phil Mitchell’s girlfriend in EastEnders, used to fight with her sister – who is called Jackie – to be the first to read it.

“She insisted she should get to read it first because it had her name on it,” Janet laughed.

“We would pour over it for hours. Any cache of old copies bought at jumble sales were especially welcome.

“We would devour them in the school holidays, sitting in our bedroom surrounded by cut-out posters of dishy singers like David Cassidy and Marc Bolan.”

How does older sister Jackie, now a town planner, feel now Janet has nabbed the lead role in the musical?

“She’s been to see me twice and says she loves it,” she smiled. “Any teenage tiffs over Jackie have long since disappeared.”

Jackie The Musical is set to play at a number of Scottish venues this month.

It visits the Eden Court Theatre, Inverness, from July 12 to 16, His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen, from 19 to 23 and the King’s Theatre, Glasgow, from 26 to 30.

Nina Myskow – former editor of Jackie

WHEN I was Editor of Jackie in the ’70s, Oscar-winning actress Emma Thompson wrote to the readers’ letters page.

She said she loved the pics of pop stars, but her father Eric did the Magic Roundabout on TV, and he was better-looking than Mick Jagger, so could we print this photo of him? Which we did!

I met Emma years later and she was still thrilled at the memory.

We can laugh at letters like the ones here as naïve but they are sweet and genuine. Jackie was a teenage lifeline, a big sister during days of adolescent angst.

And it’s a source of innocent fun again.

As Editor in Chief of Jackie the Musical, to be a part of bringing an evening of such uplifting nostalgic happiness to my former readers is sheer joy!