A THEATRE company mourning a young member is dedicating its first production since her death to her memory.

Ceri-Ann Faulkner, 18, of Markham Crescent, Oakdale, died suddenly in June last year.

She was suffering from suspected pulmonary hypertension - a rare disorder which can see the pressure in the pulmonary artery to the heart rising above normal to life-threatening levels.

As a ten-year-old she joined the Really Cuckoo Company as a member of the chorus.

She eventually became choreographer for the group, a role now taken over by her 16-year-old sister, Bethany.

At the time of Ceri-Ann's death the group were in rehearsals for the pantomime Alice in Pantoland.

Ceri-Ann's mum, Susan Greening, is playing Alice's mother in the pantomime.

She said her daughter loved being involved with the Risca theatre company.

"It can be really hard going down because that's where Ceri-Ann is and we feel her all around us," she said.

"But at the same time it is nice to see her friends. "The building was renovated last year and there is a room dedicated to her memory."

She said Ceri-Ann, who studied performing arts, loved life and had had an exciting future in front of her.

Company secretary Sue Wiltshire said: "Ceri-Ann had a wonderful singing voice. She had so many ideas about what she was going to do. "She had great plans for the future, and was going to go into showbusiness of some sort or maybe music therapy. It was so cruel when she was taken away so suddenly."

Ceri-Ann was very popular within the group and had lots of friends. After her death they organised a memorial service in the rehearsal hall to share memories of her.

Mrs Wiltshire said one of Ceri-Ann's gifts was getting everyone involved. "She even got me doing a dance routine up on stage, something I never thought I would do."

They hope the sold-out show will be a fitting tribute to the talented teenager.

The family comedy is a traditional tale of good versus evil, and will be performed at St Mary's Church Hall, Risca, on January 27 and 28 at 7.15pm, and on January 28 at 3.15pm.