FRINTON actress Jemima Watling is lighting up Cambridge’s Shakespeare Festival after landing a leading role.

The 24-year-old actress, who is following in the footsteps of her actor father Giles and grandfather Jack, is appearing in the festival as Juliet in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

Last year she played Ariel in The Tempest and Princess Katherine in Henry V.

“It is nice to come back for festival,” she said.

“Last year I had smaller parts so it’s great to have landed a leading role.

“It’s been a huge challenge to play Juliet, but a really fun one - she’s a great character.

“She’s quite a comedic character in many ways and you need the audience to fall in love with her to make it even more devastating in the end.

“I think a lot of people get it wrong when they think Romeo and Juliet is just a tragedy – it is very humorous until it all goes wrong in the end.

“Juliet goes from a girl to a woman and you see the dark side of her.

“It’s a really lovely part to play.”

Jemima appeared on stage in Frinton for the summer theatre’s Who Killed Lady Cuckoo? during its Spring Miscellany in March.

Her next part sees her taking up the role of Marina in Shakespeare’s Pericles, which will be staged in east London.

Jemima will be appearing in Romeo and Juliet, at King’s College Gardens, Cambridge, until August 26.

Tickets are available online from cambridgeshakespeare.com.