A QUEUE of characters left knocking on heaven’s door after access through the Pearly Gates has gone digital is at the heart of a new comedy play which comes to Blackburn on Saturday.

Seriously Dead has been written by Leah Bell and Benidorm star Chrissy Rock and is a follow-up to their hugely successful tour, Dirty Dusting, which saw some elderly office cleaners setting up their own telephone sex line business.

“While Chrissy and I were working on Dirty Dusting and as we were travelling around the country we started to put a few sketches together,” said Leah. “We would make each other laugh and we decided that we should seriously consider another play and so we started work on what became Seriously Dead.”

With Chrissy having to go to Spain for the filming of the hit ITV comedy series, the pair developed what Leah describes as “an unorthodox writing process”.

“Chrissy was in Benidorm and I was at home in Northumberland so we worked out a way of long distance writing.”

Chrissy added: “Leah was really the main writer She has a wonderful way of being able to do what she does. We had all these little story ideas which Leah then put all together.”

Both Chrissy and Leah also star in the show - Chrissy is the recently bereaved Betty, a sex bomb who is hard on the outside but has a heart of gold, and Leah plays an angel who can’t get into heaven because she hasn’t got the correct paperwork.

The show also stars comedian Billy Pearce and Emmerdale favourite Frazer Hines.

“I’m the only person I’ve never heard of in this play,” joked Leah. “But it is a great cast and we all get on together brilliantly.

“We knew it made us laugh but I don’t think we expected it to be as funny as it has turned out to be.

“The show has gone over terrifically well with audiences.”

The cheeky, almost simple style is, Leah believes, one of the main reasons for the show’s success.

“I think sometimes people get too clever with comedy and it’s not actually funny.

“But people do genuinely like to go out and have a good time If they are going to spend money on a ticket to the theatre they want to go home having had a good time not some lukewarm experience.”

Leah and Chrissy received an unexpected boost from veteran comedian Roy Hudd who say one of the first shows on the tour.

“Chrissy kept calling him Rod Hull which was embarrassing,” said Leah. “But he said it was a very funny show which coming from someone with his experience was a real complement.”

With two hit plays under their belts it looks as though Chrissy and Leah have hit on a winning formula. So is a third play in the pipeline?

“We were at the aftershow party following opening night for Seriously Dead when Chrissy comes up to me and says ‘we’ll have to start work on the next one now’,” said Leah

Seriously Dead, Thwaites Empire Theatre, Blackburn, Saturday, June 17. Details from 01254 685500 or www.thwaitesempiretheatre.co.uk