RICHARD BATSON She is a woman of many parts - as you would expect of a young actress. But Jessica Robinson is juggling stage and television as she rehearses for a summer show in Norfolk.

RICHARD BATSON

She is a woman of many parts - as you would expect of a young actress.

But Jessica Robinson is juggling stage and television as she rehearses for a summer show in Norfolk.

For she has had to take a brief break from preparing to be the lead in a 1930s-style musical - to dash to London to play her other skill as a mimic for the Dead Ringers television show.

When Sheringham Little Theatre's production of Dames at Sea launches next week the 23-year-old will play Ruby, an all American girl who heads from Utah to New York in search of Broadway fame and fortune.

In reality she is a Hertfordshire girl from an artistic family of artists and musicians who headed to London in search of stage success.

But on top of her "straight" acting, and singing in a pop group, she has another string to her bow - as an impersonator.

And it sees her in demand by the BBC impersonation series Dead Ringers, which stars John Culshaw and Jan Ravens.

Jessica has been asked to do Billy Piper in a Dr Who sketch, along with Desperate Housewife Teri Hatcher, teenager singer Charlotte Church, and "soap" characters Fizz from Coronation Street and Sonia from EastEnders.

Her mid-rehearsal break at Sheringham meant taking an afternoon off to nip to London to audition her Big Brother character Jade Goody.

"They wanted to see me again on August 10 - but that is opening night for Dames, but I could not abandon ship, so I had to say no."

Jessica said she had always been a natural mimic - "taking the Mickey out of my granny, mum and nasty teachers at school."

Some of her characters have appeared on Dead Ringers, and she is hoping for more - along with harbouring an ambition to have her own comedy show one day.

In the meantime she has hung up her impressions for a couple of weeks, and is focussing on the musical comedy, which is a pastiche of the Hollywood blockbuster musicals bursting with songs, romance and happy endings.

Dames at Sea runs from August 10-16 and August 31 to September 6. Tickets from the box office on 01263 822347.