MOVE over Leonardo Di Caprio and watch out Kate Winslett - Blackpool students have caught the acting bug.

Students from Blackpool and The Fylde College are currently being employed as actors, make-up artists and lighting crew members in a new drama written and produced by Ravensbourne University students.

And producers of Divine, a 25-minute gothic drama which has already alerted the interests of both BBC and Channel 4, hope Burlington Road, Blackpool, will become as much of a household name as Coronation Street after they chose one of its houses for filming on Wednesday(October 27).

Chris Venton and Beverley Atkins, both studying for their HNDs in technical theatre at the college landed the lead roles after being asked by writer Ken McClellan, an ex-student at the college, to audition. Ken said: "I'm really impressed by the quality of the actors, lighting people and make-up we've got working with us.

"I'm enjoying every minute of this and am delighted it has generated so much interest.

"In addition to the Burlington Road house, which my friend Dave Newman kindly allowed us to use, we will be filming in the Tache which was one of my watering holes while I was in Blackpool."

Chris, 18, said: "It was the first time I've acted in front of the cameras and it was slightly nerve-racking.

"There's a lot of waiting around on my behalf and there's a lot of things I'm still learning about, like the camera technology, but I'm really enjoying it.

"But at the moment I'm trying not to think about the possibility of my face being on national television."

Michelle Johnson, studying theatrical and media make-up at the Ansdell campus, said: "I was a little nervous when I was told I would be working on a film by my tutors.

"But I'm really enjoying myself and am doing things like creating blood as well as normal make-up." Divine could be shown on national television as early as next year.

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