Beyoncé Knowles has revealed she made an extra special effort for her Dreamgirls audition because she was desperate to play the role of Deena Jones in the film.

She told Empire magazine recently that she rehearsed dance routines from the original Broadway show: “I rehearsed from this bootleg videotape I had from my choreographer who’d snuck a little video recorder into the Dreamgirls play in 1981.”

“It’s really fuzzy and you can see the back of people’s heads, but I got some of the choreography and made up my own from the things I could see on the tape. I went all the way. I wanted them to know that I was dedicated and I deserved it and I was ready.”

She also made sure she looked the part too: “I totally went for it. I went to all these vintage shops to try and find the ugliest dress in the world.”

“I’ve been hearing about Dreamgirls since I was 12. It was done the year I was born and everyone around me always told me how wonderful it was. So I felt I deserved this part and I was willing to do anything to get it.”