AN ACTRESS has spoken of her excitement ahead of a new thriller hitting the stage at Theatr Clwyd later this month.

The Croft stars national treasure Gwen Taylor - best known to millions of fans as the star of the hit TV show Barbara.

In an exclusive interview with the Leader, Taylor said she was ‘very excited’ to be the first actress to play this role and ‘be a part of history’.

She said: “I was drawn to this play because of the story behind it and at the prospect of being the first actress to play this role and bring life to the story behind the words.

“It will be one for the history books and that makes me both very proud and very excited.”

Gwen will play Enid in the production of Ali Milles new thriller ‘The Croft’ by The Original Theatre Company.

The Croft is set in the remote Scottish Highlands village of Coillie Ghille, where we encounter three women from different eras whose lives are intertwined by the croft's dark history.

In the 1880’s, Enid is the last person left in the village - she's resilient, a survivor, who takes in the Laird's pregnant daughter, Eilene [played by Lucy Doyle].

In 2005, Ruth [played by Caroline Harker] occupies the croft, which she and her husband Tom [played by Simon Roberts] bought as a holiday home and where Ruth has her affair with local man, David [played by Drew Cain].

In the present day, Laura [also played by Doyle] returns with her friend Suzanne [also played by Harker] to her parent's croft after her mother Ruth's death.

They discover the terrifying truth that lurks within the croft. In this bold and haunting play, the present interweaves with the past, as these women search for love in the midst of great danger.

As we watch their stories intertwine and ancient tales surface, can the present heal the past?

Directed by award-winning Philip Franks (The Habit of Art) and produced by The Original Theatre Company (Birdsong), the show will run at Theatr Clwyd from March 24 to 28.

Tickets are priced from £16 and are available from Theatr Clwyd’s Box Office on 01352 344101 or at www.theatrclwyd.com.