ACTRESS Samantha Seager fears she is going to be typecast as a Neanderthal.

Samantha who stars in a new production of Half a Sixpence is only half joking.

The actress who was born and brought up in Atherton recently played a Neanderthal in the first part of a series which will go out on Channel 4 soon.

"I spent three hours being made-up for the part," she said. "And as there are other episodes I could be called back."

But in the meantime, Samantha is in rehearsal as Ann Pornick in Half A Sixpence which has just opened at the West Yorkshire Playhouse.

It is being directed by the theatre's Artistic Director Jude Kelly and choreographed by Stephen Mear.

This is the winning partnership that produced the hugely successful production of Singin' in the Rain. This show premiered at the West Yorkshire and is now playing at the National Theatre.

Coincidentally, it stars another local man -- Paul Robinson from Blackrod -- in the role of Don Lockwood.

Samantha first acquired a taste for acting at the Hesketh Fletcher school where two of her teachers -- Mrs Campbell who taught drama and Mrs Harding who taught dance -- encouraged her.

She also attended the Partington Howe School of Dance in Atherton.

"The school was great in allowing me time out to do other things," she said.

It was while she was still at Hesketh Fletcher she compered a programme called Ipso Facto for BBC Children's Television.

Samantha trained at the Webber Douglas stage school.

"It was difficult to get in and difficult to get funding," she said. "But I did get there in the end."

Not only did she get there, in 1994 she received a Special Commendation from the Laurence Olivier Bursary Award 1994.

Although she has worked in panto, this is her first professional musical.

"Rehearsals are hard work," she said. "But it is a lot of fun too. And I am totally inspired by Jude Kelly."

Samantha says she has watched the film of Half A Sixpence, but says this stage version of the musical is more true to the novel by H G Wells.

Wells' book Kipps explores the issues surrounding class distinction and education.

Samantha's part is that of Kipps' childhood sweeheart with whom he exchanges the half a sixpence of the musical's title.

It focuses on the problems of Kipps' confusion when he suddenly inherits a fortune.

Singin' in the Rain featured some stunning water sequences, and it looks as though Half A Sixpence is going to be equally sensational.

Samantha revealed that snow is introduced at one point and Jude Kelly is using photography in the production and has worked with the watercolour artist Len Tabner to create visual imagery.

In the audience to see it will be Samantha's parents Linda and David Smith and her 12-year-old brother, Ben.

Half A Sixpence runs at the West Yorkshire Playhouse until January 20 next year.