WHAT goes on behind the scenes of East Lancashire's top amateur dramatic productions? JENNY SCOTT joins the Oswaldtwistle Players in the build-up to their performance of their comedy. . .

FOR years the over-the-fence gossip of the Les Dawson and Roy Barraclough creations Cissy and Ada kept TV viewers entertained.

But now the Oswaldtwistle Players have come up with their very own version - Doris and Mrs Morris.

Wearing rollers, hairnets and overalls, the tattling twosome shuffle onstage and threaten to steal the show in the Players' latest production A Night On The Tiles.

It is due to be performed between October 20 and 23.

"She's a typical Lancashire battleaxe," says Wendy Duggan, 50, who plays Doris, the fearsome matriarch of the family at the centre of the comedy.

"And she likes to natter across the back fence

" I had an auntie just like her."

Catherine Allan plays next door neighbour Mrs Morris.

"She's not very bright and she tends to start all these vicious rumours about people," she said.

Transforming herself into a middle-aged gossip monger will present quite a challenge to 30-something Catherine.

"I have to have a really big double chin and wear an apron and curlers - very attractive!" she said.

"In one scene she has to dress up to go to a wedding, so I was thinking of wearing very tight, old clothes and wrinkly stockings."

Catherine and Wendy have worked together on several productions before, which Catherine admits helps their comic timing no end.

Perhaps, to help them get in character, the two friends could consider wearing their hairnet-and-wrinkly-stockings garb offstage as well?

"I don't think so," said Catherine, firmly.