A LICKEY END actress has a lead role in a new musical all about a revolutionary four-piece 60s band to come out of Liverpool - and we don't mean The Beatles.

Sarah Workman is playing one of The Liverbirds - the first all-girl rock 'n' roll band - in Girls Don't Play Guitars at the Royal Court Theatre in Liverpool throughout October.

The title of the play derives from a quote attributed to John Lennon, who allegedly dismissed the group with the putdown when he met them.

Former North Bromsgrove High School pupil Sarah, now 27, plays drummer Sylvia Saunders who was the band's youngest member, aged only 17 when they began to find success.

"It's going really, really well," said Sarah. "The response from audiences has been amazing and all the reviews have been really positive as well.

"We weren't really expecting the response we've had - as a cast, we hadn't heard of The Liverbirds, loads of people in Liverpool haven't heard of them so their story has kind of gone untold until now.

"And it's an amazing story. Everything that happens in the show is completely true, all the people they met, all the things they did, it's just incredible.

"It's up there with the best things I've done in my career and having a lead part is amazing. The four girls don't really leave the stage for the whole show so there's a lot to say and a lot to play and a lot to do."

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The Liverbirds found fame playing in the iconic Cavern Club, the famed birthplace of The Beatles.

Ultimately, they enjoyed more success abroad than in Britain, being whisked off to take up a three-year residency at the Star Club in Hamburg, Germany and touring internationally before splitting up in 1967.

And while Sarah might not be trotting the globe with her version of the band, she has followed in their footsteps by playing at the Cavern with her co-stars for a mini-gig that featured on BBC Breakfast.

The cast were joined by the two real-life surviving members - Saunders, who Sarah plays in the production, and Mary McGlory.

"I mean, that was something to tick off the bucket list, certainly!" added Sarah. "Not everyone gets the opportunity to do that, it was incredible."

The play only came to life by chance after writer Ian Salmon randomly happened upon a picture of the group but Sarah believes this might only be the beginning.

She added: "A lot of people that have seen the show have said it's got legs and more people need to hear the story.

"It would be amazing to go to London. It would be amazing to go over to Hamburg - there's some interest over there because that's where The Liverbirds spent most of their career."

Girls Don't Play Guitars runs at the Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool, until November 2, following which Sarah heads to Peterborough for pantomime season in Beauty and the Beast.