Victoria Beckham harboured theatre dream

Victoria Beckham reportedly went to see a new musical 18 times because she's always wanted to be on stage in Cats.

The former Spice Girls star is gearing up to promote the musical Viva Forever! which is based on the British band's songs. It's being produced by Judy Craymer, who is also behind the Abba stage show Mamma Mia!

The group - comprising of Victoria, Mel B, Geri Halliwell, Emma Bunton and Mel C - have been heavily involved in the production, with Victoria especially enamoured with the idea.

"When we opened Mamma Mia!, Victoria came about 18 times," Judy told Style magazine. "She told me she had always wanted to be the White Cat in [musical] Cats. I thought, if these girls hadn't become the Spice Girls, they would have been auditioning for West End shows."

Viva Forever! is scheduled to open in London, UK, on December 11. Geri is thrilled to introduce the band's music to a new age group and hopes their 'girl power' message will be just as inspiring the second time around.

"[The show] is about bringing the Spice legacy to a new generation," she explained. "Spice Girls is about unifying the world — every age, every gender, everyone. It's woman power, people power, it's an essence, a tribe."

Mel B hopes the musical will remind women of the importance of female relationships and being there for friends.

The production also means a lot to Mel C, who has started thinking about how the world has changed since the Spice Girls released their debut track Wannabe in 1996. She sometimes worries about the effect the band had on the world.

"The culture has changed so dramatically in 16 years," she explained. "Sometimes I think, are the Spice Girls to blame? Were they the catalyst for what celebrity culture would become? But I think there was a naivety about us — an innocence. I feel that's a bit lost now."