Natalie Cassidy enjoying stage role

Natalie Cassidy, who quit EastEnders earlier this year after more than a decade playing the character of Sonia, has been speaking about her new project. She is one of the stars taking part in a touring version of The Vagina Monologues, which recently played to audiences in Newcastle, and will move on to venues in Hull and Lincoln. The actress is clearly relishing the experience. "It's such a good piece," she enthuses. "This is the first time I've ever played in a theatre, and every night my confidence grows. The first couple of nights I was petrified, but I'm learning to enjoy it and go with it." The acclaimed work couldn't be further away from the world of Walford, and some of the subject matter gripped Natalie from the outset. "Some of the tales are very funny, but others are less so. In one segment, I play a girl who returned from a rape camp and tells her story of what the soldiers did to her. It's terribly moving and hard-hitting. "It's great experience for me, because my voice has got a bit lazy. After spending so long in television, I haven't used it as much, so I know I need a lot of work, but I also know if I'm going to do this properly, my voice isn't up to scratch - it's not Imelda Staunton!" When asked if she felt a sense of freedom after being let loose on the stage, she said: "I cannot tell you the difference. I loved EastEnders with all my heart. I was there for 12 years and I miss the people very much, but the work side of this has been amazing. I'm really enjoying it." Cassidy laughs as she adds: "The great thing is I get to do scenes again. If I came off one night and thought 'I didn't do that very well', you don't beat yourself up about it because you think 'well, next time I'll try it a different way.' You don't get that in TV." However, she is quick to point out the differences between stage and small-screen serial acting. "Being in a soap is one of the hardest jobs as an actor you can do, because you work at such a fast pace." One thing that did surprise the brunette was the reaction of the audiences. "When I went out one night and did my piece, people were laughing. I thought: 'I have to wait for the laughter to stop before carrying on.' That was very different and very difficult - but it's stuff I have to learn."