AN actress playing Juliet was left nursing bruises and her pride when she fell for her Romeo - quite literally.

Laura Rees plunged eight feet from a balcony and on to the stage at Malvern Theatres, during Friday's performance of Shakespeare's tragedy.

A stunned audience, which included two groups of school children, looked on in horror when the 24-year-old tumbled, just 30 minutes into the English Touring Theatre's performance.

Eyewitnesses, who asked not to be named, said two doctors from the audience attended to the actress, before ambulances arrived.

Ms Rees was then helped by emergency crews and was taken to Worcestershire Royal Hospital to be treated for bruising, before being released.

The show was suspended with all theatre-goers receiving a full refund.

Drew Colverd, spokesman for English Touring Theatre said Ms Rees was a "little bit embarrassed" by the fall and was thankful she only had a few bruises.

"It seems that Laura was simply acting her socks off," he said.

"She was engrossed in the part, but she just leaned out a little bit too far."

Mr Colverd said an inspection of the set had not revealed any faults with the balcony. He said it was unfortunate Saturday's performance, which would have been its last in Malvern, was also cancelled.

"We are not the sort of company that employs understudies and there is no way we would expect Laura to carry on after what happened," he said.

Before taking the part of Juliet, Ms Rees enjoyed a six-month run playing a mad woman in the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Brand, alongside Ralph Fiennes.

The enthusiastic actress has until next week to find her feet, when the play moves on to Oxford.

Malvern Theatres chief executive, Nic Lloyd, said: "Laura Rees has sustained a suspected fractured wrist, bruising to her lower back, but she's recovering well.

"Risk assessments were carried out before, during and after the performances and everything was in order.

"It was just an unfortunate accident."