NEWPORT film students are helping two rising comedy stars with a pilot for a new comedy sketch show.

Serena Lewis, who teaches at Caerleon Comprehensive, and Dominique Fester, a teacher and actress, also from Cardiff, are former members of comedy group Slow Genius.

The group, originally made up of five women, was founded in 2007 and enjoyed a few years of success at the likes of the Edinburgh Festival and Cardiff’s Chapter Arts Centre before the group went their separate ways.

But after recently reuniting, Ms Lewis and Ms Fester have now written 15 comedy sketches and have asked students at Newport Film School, based at the University of Wales, Newport, city centre campus to help them film a pilot of their new show which has yet to be named.

They will then send this to television channels in the autumn with the hope of getting it commissioned.

Ms Lewis, who is also a professional actress and has appeared as an extra in Doctor Who and Pobol y Cwm said: "We just realised how much we missed the whole comedy thing.

"We started to write some sketches and then approached the film school to help us. The students are great."

The sketches are based on real-life situations with a funny twist and the students will help with producing and filming with some also playing extras.

Although some of the filming locations have yet to be finalised, production meetings have been taking place and filming is due to start next week.