A STAR of the Brom-yard stage was whipped off to hospital with appendicitis during a performance of Babes in the Wood on Saturday.

Even with severe stomach ache, Summer Jones got through the first half of the pantomime at the Conquest Theatre but by the interval she found she could go on no longer.

Conquest chairman Sarah Handley said: "She went on in the first half in considerable pain. Everybody got very worried about her and decided they needed to call an ambulance, which they did. The ambulance came and whisked her off to hospital in Worcester and she had her appendix out the next day.

"I don't think anybody could believe that she'd gone on in such pain although I don't think anybody in the audience would of known. She was wonderful."

For the second half of the matinee, Bromyard girl Angharad Smith took over her role as Maid Marion with the help of a script.

Mrs Handley said: "Ang-harad is only 13, so to pick the script up and to go on with it was wonderful. You've got to be a trouper to do that."

After the show, another of the theatre's amateur actors, Beverly Childs, went over the requirements of the role with director Simon Evans.

By that evening's performance Beverly was word perfect.

Following the operation, Summer is said to have made a good recovery and there is a hope that she may return for a final performance before Babes in the Wood closes tomorrow.

If not, Mrs Handley said: "Hopefully she'll be back in future productions."