AS if starring in one Royal Shakespeare Company production of one of the Bard's best known plays was not daunting enough, Worcester-born actress Sarah Ball is appearing in two at the same time.

"Some days you are in Rome in the morning and then in Sicilly in the afternoon," said Sarah who plays Octavia in Anthony and Cleopatra and Margaret in Much Ado About Nothing.

"They are two very different parts. Octavia is Cleopatra's competition and Margaret is a bit of an old tart."

Both plays are running in repertoire at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford until Saturday, July 13.

Despite swapping between plays for different performances running at the same time Sarah has not accidentally slipped into the wrong character.

"Once the lines are in there it's not a problem. But learning lines is the most boring thing in the whole world."

She said it also helps that the parts and the plays are so different.

"In Anthony and Cleopatra you don't really get to see the audience until the end, but in Much Ado you get more feedback from the audience."

"Much Ado does turn in the second half and gets quite sad. I was talking to one member of the audience who said they laughed all the way through the first half and cried all the way through the second half."

Sarah grew up in Comer Gardens in St John's, Worcester and was originally most interested in dance.

"I began learning dance from the age of three. You should see my first ballet shoes. They're tiny."

She went to Worcester Girls' School where she was involved in a few productions but only became interested in the stage when she was 17 and went to the Central School of Speech and Drama when she was 21.

She has worked with the RSC before, appearing in productions of King Lear and The Tempest.

"I used to come and see things at the RSC with school but when I was younger it was never really a burning ambition to work here. Maybe because Shakespeare seems very difficult when you are younger. But now I am very happy to be here and it has become burning ambition."

"Working with the RSC is different because there are so many people that know Shakespeare so well and they have lots of people around to help like language coaches."

Sarah has starred on stage and TV with series such as In Deep, Casualty, Midsommer Murders and Drugs Documentary and is torn between the two.

"In theatre you can't retake and if you do something wrong you have to get yourself out of trouble. But TV can be very stressful in a different way. You might have to act with someone you haven't met before, cramped up with 15 people and someone trying to stick a microphone up your nose."

For details on performances of Anthony and Cleopatra and Much Ado About Nothing contact the RSC box office on 01789 403403.