Soap star leads community actors in Shakespeare tale

Aug 13 2008 by Vicky Anderson, Liverpool Daily Post

Actress Pauline Fleming, with Peggy O'Brien and Winnie Keating, from the Lily Centre _320

FORMER Coronation Street actress Pauline Fleming and Brookside actor Neil Caple are bringing Shakespeare to the Wirral in four free open-air concerts.

Pauline will become Paulina in Wirral Community Shake- speare’s production of The Winter’s Tale, directed by Caple. Starring among a cast and crew of 28 members of the Birkenhead community, Pauline said she “jumped at the chance” to get involved.

She has worked with The Reader Organisation’s director, Jane Davis, for many years doing Shakespeare workshops with a variety of Get Into Reading groups across Liverpool and Wirral.

“I thought it was a great opportunity to work with local people who wanted to get involved with what Shakespeare is all about, so I jumped at the chance to be part of the Wirral Community Shakespeare project,” she said. She added: “I love the part of Paulina because I get a chance to play a strong wom- an in one of Shakespeare's plays, and as such characters are so far and few between, I feel quite privileged.

There will be free open-air performances in Birkenhead Park on August 29 and 30, at 2pm and 7.30pm each day.

Tickets can be obtained from Birkenhead Park Pavilion from 10am to 4pm, Monday to Saturday.