Clapham’s Charlotte Ritchie could hardly be more in demand. She is currently on our screens in BBC One smash hit Call the Midwife, BBC Three comedy Siblings and will shortly return to her break-out role in Fresh Meat when its final series airs.

On top of that, the 26-year-old actress is currently on tour with the Noel Coward play Private Lives. Charlotte told us it was an easy decision for her to balance stage work with television roles.

She said: “I think a lot of people in telly spend a lot of time wishing they were in theatre and a lot of people in theatre spend a lot of time wishing they were on telly, because both offer different things.

“For me, theatre offers a real test of my ability in a different sense – technical skill and also how to project my voice and if I had the stamina to do the same thing over and over again.

“Also, it is just so interesting to go on tour.

“You can get a bit detached from things when you do telly because you forget there’s people who watch it.”

Charlotte plays Sybil alongside a cast that includes Strictly Come Dancing winner Tom Chambers, Tipping the Velvet’s Laura Rogers and Downton Abbey’s Richard Teverson. 

“They are all just brilliant,” she said. “On a social level they are all really good fun and really nice people so it means that going on tour around the country is pleasurable.

“Also I’m learning a lot. They all bring so much to it. They all have so many skills, they are all so talented. I know it sounds so boring to say but it’s great because you learn from each of them.”

The show comes to Richmond Theatre from February 15 to 20 and Charlotte is looking forward to being back on familiar territory.

She said: “I think Richmond Park might be one of my favourite places on earth. I just love it. I always go there for walks with my dogs or with my friends. We went there for New Year’s Eve.”

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The former pupil at James Allen’s Girls’ School in Dulwich was still studying for her English and Drama degree at Bristol University when she was cast in Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong’s uni comedy Fresh Meat playing insecure literature fresher Oregon.

The fourth and final series has been recorded and will air in the coming months. Charlotte admitted she will be sad to say goodbye.

She said: “I felt like I had that to thank for most of the things I’m doing. They took quite a big chance on me. I was fairly inexperienced. I think it was lucky they were looking for new people.

“I think I’m going to be pretty distraught when the credits roll up on the last ever scene. It has been such an incredible character to play.

“I love her so much. I mean, she’s an awful person, but I just love playing her. And I love that they let me do lots of my own things.

“They’re very strict on the dialogue and it’s incredible dialogue, but in terms of characterisation they began to write a lot for us as actors and that’s just such a rare thing to do. It is such a privilege.

“Also just the gang, the cast. I don’t see them as much as I do when I’m filming and it is sad to think we won’t work together in the same capacity again.

“We’ll still remain friends and it’s something that only we have in common with each other so it binds us together. I used to look forward to those summers in Manchester more than anything because we used to hang out all hours of all days and it became our stomping ground.

“Whenever I have to go to Manchester now for other things I feel strangely like I’m having an affair.”

Private Lives is at Richmond Theatre from February 15 to 20. Go to atgtickets.com/richmond