Catherine to star in Cold War drama

Catherine Tate is to headline her first film, playing a real-life Cold War heroine.

The role, as a mother who uprooted her family from Bolton to start a new life in communist East Germany in the Sixties, could propel the comic into a career as a serious film actress.

Her character becomes disillusioned about the harsh realities of the socialist ideal, and after six months, making a hazardous escape back home.

Tate, 38, has finished filming Mrs Ratcliffe's Revolution, described as an offbeat British comedy, in Budapest this weekend.

The story is based on the real experiences of 74-year-old Lois Norris, who said her experiences of East Germany were 'unremittingly awful'.

'I couldn't wait to escape,' she told The Observer. 'Even after 30 years, I feel disturbed and upset about reliving these memories.

‘Most of my time was spent in dreary housekeeping, with the constant strain of finding something decent to eat from the unattractive shops. I couldn't speak German so life became unbearable.'

Tate is a classically trained actress, having studied at the Central School of Speech and Drama and worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre.

Published: 24 Sep 2006