EastEnders star Ann Mitchell hails GCU screenwriting talent

EastEnders and Widows star Ann Mitchell hailed the "incredibly impressive" scripts produced by students on GCU's MA TV Fiction Writing course during a script-reading workshop.

The award-winning actress, who plays Cora Cross, the mother of Tanya Branning and Rainie Cross in the BBC soap, read sample scripts from the latest cohort of writers during a campus visit.

Ann, whose career spans more than 50 years in theatre, television, film and radio, read from 11 scripts and passed on tips and advice on dialogue, stage directions and scene structure.

The MA TV students were asked to write EastEnders' scenes for Ann's character, who is due to return to Albert Square tonight.

Ann, who starred in Lynda La Plante's ground-breaking series Widows in the 1980s, said: "I've been astonished by what the students have come up with from their imaginations. Some of the scripts are very close to what happens.

"The fact they can produce work of this calibre is incredibly impressive.

"I would advise all budding writers to take acting classes. The odd evening class here and there. I think it's very important for them to learn the process of acting, as it will make them better writers.

"Scottish actors are some of the best actors in the world, in my opinion."

GCU is marking the 10th anniversary of its MA TV Fiction Writing programme this year with a series of events.

Graduates have worked on some of Britain’s most popular long-running shows, including EastEnders, Casualty, and Holby City.

MA TV alumni Lorna Martin recently became the first graduate to devise and write her own series, Women on the Verge, which is currently being screened on channel W.