SHE'S successfully stepped up from tarts 'n' vicars parties to tea dances, negotiating a few tricky cha-cha steps along the way.

Actress Linda Broughton has played roles in comedy films alongside Renee Zellweger in Bridget Jones's Diary and Gwyneth Paltrow in Sliding Doors, but her latest part -- in Ballroom, at the Lowry Theatre, Salford Quays -- has more than a touch of pathos about it.

"It's about four people -- two widows and two widowers -- and this is the first time they have danced since they lost their partners. We see how they get on with each other, but we also see flashbacks of their married lives."

Linda, 58, auditioned for the role after becoming a fan of salsa.

"I had just done some salsa lessons and I picked it up very quickly.

"I think the producers were looking for someone older -- my character is about 70 -- but they seemed to like what I did with the character."

And the production couldn't have been timed better, with popular programmes like the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing quickstepping to the top of the ratings.

"Ballroom dancing is certainly coming back in," said Linda.

"And I really like it. I'd love to continue after I've finished the play."

Linda herself was not an expert dancer before she took up the role, so she faced six weeks of intensive training.

"The play uses four dancers to portray our younger selves who are, of course, much better at ballroom than us, so we had to practise hard!"

But the idea behind the play will, Linda thinks, be a hit with audiences.

"It's nice to work on a play that's written for older people, rather than young ones. Television is so fascinated with young people at the moment. It's interesting to work on something where all the central characters are aged around 70."

For Linda, Ballroom's spell at the Lowry also means a welcome return to the North West. Her family is originally from Burnley -- her grandfather lived on Ightenhill Park Lane -- and she is staying with friends in Hebden Bridge.

After graduating from Manchester University, her career took her through a short spell as a drama instructor at Strangeways Prison, through a three year stint at the Bolton Octagon and on to films like Sliding Doors, with John Hannah and Gwyneth Paltrow.

"When I first read the script, I thought, 'What a brilliant idea'," said Linda of the film, which shows the main character's life taking two different courses, based on whether or not she catches a train. "I couldn't believe nobody had done it before.

"I play the character at the end of the film who has to tell John Hannah that Gwyneth Paltrow is dead, but of course there is another outcome as well. We had to shoot it in lots of different ways because they weren't sure quite how they wanted the final version to be."

Linda also played a guest at the infamous tarts and vicars party-that-wasn't in Bridget Jones's Diary, but admitted: "I feel really stupid, but I've never seen it. I keep meaning to get it out on video."

She tours with Ballroom, which finishes its run in London, until August, after which she's taking a part in the TV soap Doctors.

"The character I play in Doctors is also a big fan of ballroom dancing," she said. "I didn't plan it like that -- it's just a strange coincidence."

Catch Ballroom at the Lowry tonight and tomorrow. For tickets, call (0870) 1112000.