AN INSPIRATIONAL Dunfermline grandmother is shooting for the stars as she takes centre stage at the Edinburgh Fringe.

Lorna Calder, 56, took a leap of faith three years ago when she decided to pursue her dreams of becoming an actress and has now been cast in a Los Angeles-based production.

"I always wanted to act but life gets in the way," she told the Press.

"I have been training for the past three years but I knew this was the year I wanted it to happen."

The mum-of-three will play the part of Nana in Sunny Makes a Scene, a play which follows an American teenager dealing with her father's untimely death.

She is the only cast member based outside London and will have met just one of her fellow actors prior to the show starting, due to rehearsals taking place over Zoom.

"We will just have two full days before it goes live to do all the blocking, it is exciting, we have a great venue, everything is going on around it," she explained.

"It is emotionally-charged but has funny parts too, it is a dark comedy.

"It is a very personal story to the writer which she has written beautifully."

Between working part-time in design management for NatWest, Lorna began taking acting classes three years ago.

The former Queen Anne High pupil has already played parts in small films and student theatre productions, though this will be her biggest gig yet.

"It is 100 per cent what I want to be doing," she added.

"I love it, I am so passionate about it, I will absolutely keep going.

"I love being in front of the camera and would love to get onto TV more.

"At first, my family probably thought, 'At least you have a hobby', but they have been great, my husband (Bruce Calder) has been so supportive.

"Lots of my family and friends have booked tickets already!

"I have two grown-up kids, four grandkids, and a 12-year-old son, there is a little bit of swearing in the show but they have been warned about that!"

The production has also partnered with Crew 2000, an Edinburgh-based organisation working to reduce drug- and sexual health-related harms and stigma.

They provide up-to-date information, education, training and support and staff members will be on hand after each show for audience members looking for help, advice or more information.

Lorna says she enjoys getting to know her characters, even in emotionally-intensive shows such as this.

"As long as you are in the moment, if the emotion is natural, you need to be absorbing what you are doing," she said.

"You can't play emotion, it has to be there.

"We did a deep dive into the character parts and were able to really get to know why she reacts the way she does.

"It was hugely helpful having the writer there and to go through the script, that is not always the case."

Sunny Makes a Scene will be performed for five nights from August 24 to August 28 at C ARTS Edinburgh Fringe venue 21 and tickets are available at: https://res.cthearts.com/event/34:3688/