Charlie Brooks is loving life away from Albert Square as she captivates audiences in Sunderland as a star of acclaimed show The Ocean at the End of the Lane
Charlie was at the centre of one of EastEnders' biggest Christmas storylines for years a few months ago when her iconic character Janine ended up ploughing into the sea, at the end of a dramatic episode which saw her wicked lies about new husband Mick Carter's ex Linda exposed around the dinner table, thanks to her own daughter Scarlett.
Janine survived but ended up being thrown bars, leaving soap fans wondering if they'd ever get to see Janine back in Walford again. But, while Janine is banged up in prison, ex I'm A Celebrity winner Charlie is proving to be a real scene stealer in The Ocean at the End of the Lane, the National Theatre smash which is currently blowing audiences away at Sunderland Empire.
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The fantasy show about a man who is drawn into a fantasy world on returning to his childhood home has been going great guns since opening at the famous theatre this week, with Charlie singled out for particular praise in the role of mysterious house guest Ursula.
ChronicleLive caught up with Charlie days before her stint on Wearside and she said she was enjoying every second of being involved in Ocean, having been chomping at the bit to get her teeth into a role in theatre.
"It's like an epic Netflix drama series feel to it," she explained. "It's so cinematic and with the amazing visuals and the puppets and everything, it really is on a different scale.
"There is some great storytelling in the script and everytime a school comes into see the show, the pupils' jaws just drop."
Charlie said that, rather like her famous EastEnders alias Janine, Ursula, while very mysterious, just 'wanted to be loved,' while not giving too much away about what the show, which she described as 'a pot of illusions' holds for the character.
While Charlie said she is very much enjoying treading the boards and getting to travel the length and breadth of the country, she is doing so while still basking in the glory of an epic EastEnders episode.
"The reaction to it just blew me away," she remarked.
"It was like nothing EastEnders had done before. It was like a piece of cinema, we had water tanks and everything. And Danny (Dyer) and Kellie (Breight) were just fantastic."
*The Ocean at the End of the Lane is on at Sunderland Empire until Saturday, March 4, with an evening show on Friday and a matinee and evening performance on Saturday.
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