WEOBLEY actress Zoie Kennedy, who came to our attention last year as Staff Nurse Meryl Taylor in ITV drama The Royal, returns to home territory next week.

Appearing in Noel Coward's The Marquise alongside Kate O'Mara - and three of her co-stars from The Royal - at Malvern Theatres, Zoie is enjoying the sojourn from television.

She heard she had been cast in the Bill Kenwright production on return from her honeymoon in December.

Real-life romance echoed her on-screen love interest when she married Stuart Gibson, a grip on the set of The Royal.

"We got married on August Bank Holiday because there was no time in the filming schedule to take a day off," Zoie said.

Having back-packed around the world two years ago, the two found adventure when they eventually went on a delayed honeymoon to Guatemala and Belize in December - climbing a live volcano, trekking through the jungle and swimming with sharks.

A new 12-part series of The Royal has been commissioned by ITV and Zoie is in talks with her agent about whether she will be continuing with her role.

You can see her playing Kate O'Mara's daughter in this classic Coward romantic comedy at Malvern from February 23-28.

Tickets for the production are available on 01684 892277.