ACTRESS Patsy Palmer will be tapping away at Malvern Theatres in dancing comedy Stepping Out.

The show looks at the lives and loves of a weekly adult tap class, including a lonely man seeking company and a middle-age woman who treats it as a therapy session.

Patsy said she plays the most ordinary person, class teacher and ex-professional dancer Mavis Turner.

"The play is full of amazing characters. They're all so strong, it's great," she said. "It's a really good, fun play and I know people will really enjoy it."

Although she learnt tap dancing as a child, she had to take classes before the show, which she said was great fun.

Perhaps best known for her role as the character Bianca in BBC soap EastEnders, Patsy is used to people in the street calling out the character's name.

"I can't mind. If I minded I'd be living a life of misery. She's such a strong character," she said.

Theatre roles, including an acclaimed performance in the Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Tell Me on a Sunday, mean Patsy has left Bianca firmly in the past.

Her forthcoming projects include the ITV comedy sketch show Monkey Trousers with Steve Coogan, Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer and she said she enjoyed doing a mixture of theatre and television work.

Stepping Out, by Richard Harris, plays at Malvern Theatres from Monday to Saturday, May 9 to 14. Tickets are £16 to £24 (students £8) from on 01684 892277.