ACTRESS Val Jones will tread the boards for the first time in 16 years this month when she stars in the Tyldesley Little Theatre production Comfort and Joy.

She will play Kathy in 'Comfort and Joy' -- a comedy written by comic and folk legend Mike Harding -- being staged at the Lemon Street theatre from September 23-27.

The play is about a couple who play host to family, friends and neighbours during the Christmas period. After a hectic start the party soon reaches a

whole new level of insanity as everything goes wrong.

Val last starred for TLT between December 1987 and 1988 where she showed her acting versatility, playing a young servant in When We Are Married to a thigh-slapping Jack Horner in the pantomime Tom, the Piper's Son.

Ian Taylor from the TLT, said: "We're hoping that Val will stick around for a lot longer this time, especially as she has blended in so well with the rest of the cast."

Tickets are available now from the TLT box office. Call 01204 655619 or 01942 886908 for more details.