A Rickmansworth schoolgirl is currently making her professional stage debut alongside Shakespeare in Love star Joseph Fiennes and Lovejoy actress Phyllis Logan.

Charlotte Beaumont, 12, who attends the Royal Masonic School, is appearing at at The Bush Theatre, in 2,000 Feet Away, which has just extended its run for another week until Friday, July 18.

The play, by new writer Anthony Weigh and directed by recently appointed artistic director, Josie Rourke, is set in Eldon, Iowa where the law demands that registered sex offenders remain 2,000 feet away from anywhere children might gather. The deputy (Joseph Fiennes) is forced to serve his neighbour’s son AG (Ian Hart) an eviction order. Over one weekend, we witness a small town’s struggle with coming to terms with the law and the effect on its community.

Charlotte tells me she has a key role in the play.

She says: “It’s amazing because it’s my first job and it’s not just something like third girl to the left but a proper part where I have as many scenes as the adults.”

The play’s content might be a cause for concern for someone so young but Charlotte seems unfazed by it and says she is well looked after on set.

“We’re chaperoned at all times and in the first week there wasn’t any staging; we just went deep into the characters, so we could live and breathe them.

“With my character, where normal girls have pop stars on their walls I have these sex offenders. Joseph Fiennes’ character is trying to wean me off collecting the pictures. He’s trying to get me out of the situation and I’m being stubborn and straightforward with him. He gets desperate because he wants me to be a little girl. He tries to get me to read a children’s book and sing songs.”

Charlotte is clearly at ease with her famous co-stars and despite the serious subject, the cast manage to have a few laughs backstage.

“Joe is really easy to work with and a good laugh,” says Charlotte. “He’s also very focused and professional. Phyllis is more of a motherly character and Ian is just the joker. I was backstage the other day and he gave me a harmonica, just randomly.”

Charlotte’s poise is understandable when you look at her background. She comes from a long line of theatre performers; her grandmother was variety star Sally Barnes and her great aunt, the opera singer Roma Beaumont.

Charlotte started acting at the age of four when she did a short film for Channel Four. Since then she has taken part in more than 13 productions with Blag Youth Theatre, which is run by her actor parents Richard and Lynn Beaumont.

Though only four at the time, Charlotte vividly recalls her first screen role.

“I remember being directed what to do. The scenes were not scripted. They just distracted me and said run around in the gardens and have a good time. Then I had to be asleep and wake up and scream, which was good fun. At the end I said, “Dad that was really good fun can we do it again some time?”

Despite her professional stage commitments, Charlotte is even managing to squeeze in a performance with Blag Youth Theatre next Friday, July 11, at The Elgiva Theatre, Chesham, as well as getting ready to take part in Blag’s annual Summer Project Wiz’ed which runs for two weeks from Monday, July 28 to Saturday, August 9.

For now, Charlotte is happy to be gaining such valuable professional experience.

“Normally when I do a show I only get to do it twice or three times; this time around I get 18 goes to get it right. It’s not really a job, it’s a lot of fun.”

Details: Blag Youth Theatre on 01923 772320