A YOUNG actress from Stirling has performed at the prestigious Scottish Youth Theatre in Glasgow in front of hundreds of people.

Hannah Paterson, 19, who studies HNC acting and performance at City of Glasgow College, landed a starring role in a college production of the classic Jim Cartwright play Road.

The play explores the lives of people in a deprived, working class area of Lancashire during the government of Margaret Thatcher, a time of high unemployment in the north of England.

The action, which takes place over the course of one evening, as the residents of the road prepare to go out, depicts the desperation of their lives during the period, as well as contains a great deal of humour.

Hannah, who attended Bannockburn High School, said: “I played Lane who is really flirty, funny and boisterous and she’s drunk.

"It’s a great part and, because it’s set in the 80s, there was a lot of loud upbeat music during the play, such as Cyndi Lauper and Whitney Houston.

“Part of my role included some audience interaction as I performed a section where I had to flirt with a member of the audience.

"That was the first time I have ever had to that. It was quite nerve wracking because if the audience member doesn’t respond to you then you have to keep the performance and the show going.”

Hannah is hoping to spend another year learning her craft via City of Glasgow College’s HND acting and performance course.

Stephen Cafferty, who directed the show, said: “From an artistic and creative point of view, Road is a fantastic piece for the students to work on because the writing is great and the characters are all very rich.

"Their situations are both tragic and comedic, making working on this play a great learning experience for the students.

“Hannah and her fellow students worked really hard in rehearsals and were dedicated to making their production a real success.”