THE stars of a stage comedy about fish factory workers p-p-picked up plenty of tips when they came to feed Dudley Zoo's penguin colony.

The fish-filleting foursome, who are appearing in Ladies’ Day at The Grand Theatre in Wolverhampton, soon got into character when handling sprats to feed the Humboldt penguins.

The four stars – EastEnders’ Cheryl Fergison, Emmerdale’s Deena Payne, Hollyoak's Emma Rigby and Roisin O’Neill – donned their white fish factory coats and wellies as they got to grips with handling handfuls of fish.

The ladies also had a few lessons in the Black Country dialect from bird keeper Jess Jones during their time in the walkthrough Penguin Bay exhibit.

Cheryl said: “It’s been such a fun thing to do while we are getting ready for the production and good to see where some of our fish might end up!”

Deena added: “I’ve really enjoyed getting back to basics and being so close to nature. It’s been a big help hearing more of the local accent too.”

The ladies also took time out of rehearsals to enjoy an ice-cream on the zoo’s new beach, Ow Bin Ya Sands.

Amanda Whittington’s hit comedy runs at The Grand from Friday, July 13 to Saturday, July 28 and features a live performance from chart-topping singer Tony Christie.

The show zooms in on the work, love and life of Pearl, Jan, Shelley and Linda.

But will the fortunes of the four fish factory workers change when they head to Ladies’ Day at Wolverhampton Racecourse?

Factory hairnets make way for fascinators, secrets are spilled with the champagne and friendships are tested to the limit. Yet as the day unfolds, their six-race bet keeps coming up trumps. If their luck holds, they could hit the jackpot – and more!

Tickets for Ladies’ Day are now on sale.

To book, call 01902 42 92 12 or visit grandtheatre.co.uk.