SALISBURY-based opera star, Rosalind Plowright has started an appeal to help raise £140,000 to save the life of her sister Louise who has pancreatic cancer.

Louise, the original Tanya in Mamma Mia and then went on to play the lead role Donna for a further four years, in the award-winning production, also played Madame Morrible in ‘Wicked’.

It was while in this role that she was diagnosed with the disease in 2012. After life-saving surgery, Louise’s cancer went in to remission and she thought she had made a full recovery.

But at the beginning of this year, Louise experienced pains again and tests confirmed that the cancer had returned.

UK doctors were unable to offer treatment, but research uncovered a team of doctors in Seoul, South Korea working at the cutting-edge of research into pancreatic cancer.

Dr Moon, the doctor leading the project said the treatment could offer remission and a possible cure.

He said: “We have treated more than 50 patients with Stage 4 inoperable cancer, 90 per cent of whom have lived for over two years.”

To receive treatment, Louise will need to stay at Seoul’s National University Cancer Hospital for five weeks before returning to Korea to receive additional treatment the following year. To fund this, Louise needs to find £140,000. A JustGiving Crowdfunding page has raised over £40,000 in 14 days and all of London’s musical theatres have found a further £60,000 through donations and bucket collections - but the pressure is on to find the rest.

“We are so touched by the generosity of people who have heard Louise’s story,” said Rosalind. “Our family has been devastated by cancer and now we have to try everything to help Louise continue her fight.”

To find out more about Louise’s fight, go to crowdfunding.justgiving.com/louiseplowright