Gerald Moon's comedy drama Corpse! comes to Bath's Theatre Royal at the end of August.

Cast member Louise Jameson tells us what to expect.

A production of Gerald Moon's award-winning play Corpse! visits the Theatre Royal in Bath at the end of August as part of a 15-date UK tour.

The setting for this suspense-filled comedy is London in 1936 on the day of Edward VIII's abdication.

Sibling rivalry is taken to the extreme when Evelyn (Mark McGann), a 'resting' actor, employs the genial but shady Major Powell (Colin Baker) to dispose of his identical twin (also played by Mark McGann) in order to assume his identity and inherit his fortune.

Actress Louise Jameson who plays Evelyn's boozy landlady, Mrs McGee, described the play which opens on August 26th.

"It's a comedy thriller, brilliantly written and it's full of twists and turns at every page," she said. "When I was reading it I was desperate to get to the end to find out what happens, it really hooks you."

Louise Jameson as she appeared in Eastenders.

Louise is possibly most well-known for Eastenders, where she played Italian matriarch Rosa di Marco for two and a half years.

She has also enjoyed many other high profile television parts over the years including a stint as one of Doctor Who's assistants and regular appearances in TV favourites, Bergerac and Tenko.

Her role as Mrs McGee in Corpse! is quite a departure for her as she explained.

"The play is set at the time of the abdication - the whole Mrs Simpson scandal. My character happens to be obsessed with royalty and she's a pissed theatrical landlady!

"This is quite a step away from my usual roles. I'm 51 now so I've got to start moving into the character roles at some point. I only have three scenes and each is a turn and she gets progressively drunker. It's all terribly funny and its main challenge is that it's so far away from what I usually do."

As well as the new acting challenge the role of Mrs McGee will bring, Louise is also especially looking forward to returning to the Theatre Royal.

She said: "I think it's one of my favourite theatres ever, so quirky and wonderful and steeped in history. The space is wonderful and the acoustics are brilliant."

Since leaving Eastenders two years ago, Louise has almost exclusively focussed on theatre work.

She said: "The problem is that you can kiss goodbye to two years TV work after appearing in a long-running series, but luckily theatre work has flooded in."

Rosa di Marco, the part Louise played in Eastenders was one of a handful of characters culled when a new producer took over the hit BBC soap.

"It was all to do with the change of producer as well as political reasons I don't really comprehend," she said.

"We were the victims of the new producer but what annoyed me was they told the press we were leaving before us. I found that a bit unfair. However, I did feel quite liberated when I left. I'm very grateful to the show - it revived a flagging career, but I'm glad to be away from it now."

Looking back at an earlier role, Louise walked out of the TARDIS over 25 years ago but is still very much involved with Doctor Who.

"Doctor Who still haunts me!" she laughed. "But I am very happy to be associated with it. I attend three or four conventions a year and do a little bit of charity work. The fans are very, very loyal. Colin Baker is in Corpse! as well so we'll get quite a few Whovians at the stage door I suspect."

During her time in the show, Louise played the savage primitive Leela and was paired with possibly the most popular of the many Doctors - Tom Baker.

"Tom wasn't always the easiest man in the world to work with, but he is a very exciting and dedicated actor. When I see him at conventions now we get on terribly well. He's brilliant with the fans, so witty and unpatronising."

Corpse! is where Louise is currently concentrating all her energies and she summed up what audiences can expect from the production.

"They can certainly expect to be very impressed with the technical aspects of the show, fooled and led up the garden path by the story and ultimately have a jolly good laugh!"

Corpse! runs at The Theatre Royal Bath from Monday 26th August - Saturday 31st August.

Tickets start from £14.50 each and you can contact the Box Office on 01225 448844.