Coleen Nolan feels "honoured" to be starring alongside Beverley Callard in her new play ‘The Thunder Girls’.
The 54-year-old star will make her acting debut in the production this September, and she can’t wait to learn from the "laid-back" and "dry-humoured" ‘Coronation Street’ actress, who she has been having a great laugh with ahead of rehearsals.
Coleen exclusively told BANG Showbiz: "Beverley is fantastic. She’s so dry humoured, and she says everything really quite slow, but you know there’s a punchline coming.
"She’s really laid-back and great.
"I’m honoured to be with such established actresses who are brilliant in what they do. It’s great to learn from them.
"I was saying to her, ‘When it comes to actual rehearsals, if you think I’m doing something that I could try differently and do it better, I want you to tell me that.’
"She was like, ‘No, no, I won’t be telling you that.’ I said, ‘Tell me,’ she’s like, ‘No, no, you’ll be great, love.’ "
Coleen hopes the Melanie Blake play – which has a female writer, female producer and female director, as well as an all-female cast – will be "empowering" to women, and make them realise "anything is possible at any age".
She added: "It’s very empowering. I think for a lot of women my age, you’re going through menopause and your kids are grown up, and you feel like, ‘Oh, is that it? Am I done?’
"And women who aren’t in the public eye who are feeling … it’s hard at this age.
"This is saying, ‘Anything is possible at any age.’
"The play has some killer lines, which make you laugh out loud. They make Joan Collins look like a pussy cat."
While she is yet to tread the boards, the ‘Loose Women’ panellist – who shot to fame in girl group The Nolans – is confident she will enjoy acting in the play because she "loves performing".
She said: "I’m always as shocked as everyone else when I do something new.
"I might absolutely love it, or I might think at the end of it that it wasn’t for me.
"But I think I will love it, because I love performing, it’s what I’ve done all my life.
"To be on stage with women I really respect, and who are the loveliest women, makes it even more of a joy."
Coleen is also starring in ‘The Thunder Girls’ alongside Mina Anwar. The play opens at The Lowry in Salford, Manchester on 24th September 2019. Tickets are on sale now at www.thelowry.com or call the box office on 0843 208 6000.
Coleen Nolan ‘honoured’ to act with Beverley Callard in The Thunder Girls
