A THEATRE worker is swapping the box office for the auditorium after being chosen to have her work transformed into a play.

Rose Sergent, a front of house assistant at Bolton's Octagon, is one of four writers selected to take part in the Heritage Project.

She is working with the Octagon and Bolton Amateur Theatre Societies (BATS) to produce the 30 minute play, in association with DBBC (Diversity in Barrier-Breaking Communications) Bolton.

A total of 25 playwrights — both amateur and expert — submitted drafts of plays focused on commemorating and remembering the First World War.

Miss Sergent, who is the youngest successful applicant at age 24, said: "It's a piece about a young lady who has just started working in a munitions factory.

"Her husband has gone off to fight.

"It explores the way in which those women lived and took on those new roles."

She was selected along with BBC Writersoom 10 writer Ian Townsend, Salford-born Janice Finch and Paul Jenkins, who was a teacher of drama and worked in a Blackburn school for more than 10 years.

Miss Sergent, originally from Stratford-upon-Avon and who lives in Prestwich, said: "I couldn't believe it.

"I was over the moon.

"I've not done much scrip-writing.

"I'm really interested in it, it's something I feel like I can develop."

She started working at the theatre in September 2013 while studying for a master's degree in creative writing at Edge Hill University.

She said: "I do a bit of everything.

"I started off as front as house, I did the box office and I've just started an admin traineeship.

"I lived in Stratford-upon-Avon and I worked at the RSC (Royal Shakespeare Company). I worked there as an usher, it's a cool theatre.

"When I was moving up here, I was looking for theatre jobs.

"I love it, it's brilliant.

"There are so many creative people front of house — artists, actors and other writers — it's great.

"It's like a second home."

The plays will be directed by emerging directors from within the BATS community, mentored by the Octagon’s associate director Elizabeth Newman and Lisa O’Neill-Rogan, learning and participation associate director.

Workshops with writers and the DBBC team have been taking place throughout February and March for writers to develop and refine their texts.

The casts, consisting of a 100 people from Bolton’s amateur theatre groups, will be chosen through open auditions at the Octagon.

Paul Cohen, chairman of BATS, said: “I am unsurprised but extremely excited by the calibre and creativity of each selected writer.

"The entire project is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate a spectacular amount of our local talent and it is the first joint project between BATS and the Octagon Theatre.

"We have high hopes for this, and any future, collaboration.”