A soap regular and former Coronation Street resident is swapping the cobbles for the colliery in a DH Lawrence masterpiece, at the New Vic this month.

Anita Carey, best known for playing Coronation Street’s Joyce Smedley and more recently, receptionist Vivien March in BBC 1’s Doctors, is taking on mining drama The Daughter-in-Law in a rare production of the classic.

Doctors star Anita Carey's 2009 British Soap Award acceptance speech

The actor is making her debut at the New Vic just months after scooping a hat trick of accolades at this year’s British Soap Awards. Carey and the Doctors team beat off stiff competition from Eastenders, Hollyoaks, Emmerdale and Coronation Street to win Best Storyline and Best Single Episode at the star-studded awards ceremony in May, with Anita landing Best Dramatic Performance for her powerful portrayal of rape victim, Vivien.

Said Anita: “It was terrific to win – and a huge surprise! Vivien was a great character to play and I was involved in a very moving and well-written storyline.

“I’ve never worked so hard in my life, but it was fantastically satisfying to win the awards, and I was especially flattered to have won Best Dramatic Performance. It gave me an enormous thrill!”

Corrie's Percy Sugden (Bill Waddington) in The Rovers with Joyce Smedley (Anita Carey). Photo courtesy of ITV archive.

Carey has had starring roles in British television dramas since the 1970s including Z Cars, Dixon of Dock Green and Heartbeat and is also known to millions as Bob’s sister-in-law in Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads.

The actress is making her return to the North Staffordshire venue after auditioning for theatre pioneer and former New Vic Director Peter Cheeseman during her early career.

Recalls Anita: I came down to Hartshill to meet Peter Cheeseman who kindly agreed to audition a group of us for parts in a Vic production. Unfortunately I didn’t get the gig – I remember he told me ‘Go out and get a bit more experience, then come back and see me’.

“Well it’s taken me a few years, but I’m delighted to finally be back!”

Regarded as one of the great British dramas of the 20th century,The Daughter-in-Law is a passionate story of marriage and life in a Midlands mining community, set during the 1912 coal-miners’ strike.

The Daughter-in-Law runs from Friday 25 September – Saturday 10 October at the New Vic Theatre. Tickets which cost £8.50– £17.50 (concessions available), can be booked by calling the New Vic’s Box Office on 01782 717962 or online at www.newvictheatre.org.uk