ACTRESS and theatre director Juliet Kaplan treated pupils to an impromptu acting masterclass when she officially opened a drama suite and media studies centre in Thanet (Peter Barnett writes).

The actress, from Westgate, near Margate, who is about the film her 20th season with the long-running BBC sitcom Last of the Summer Wine, put youngsters at Chatham House Grammar School, Ramsgate, through their paces.

She challenged the drama students to portray emotion in three different ways during a workshop session. She said: “The pupils were split into teams and each had to present a specific emotion in three different ways and the rest of us had to guess what is was.

“We also discussed the importance of presenting three-dimensional characters when you are working on the stage.

“Effective communication is essential for young people if they want to get on in life. Young people find it all too easy to become isolated behind their computers and logged into email and Internet chat rooms.

“While computers play a large part in our lives, I believe that a skill like acting can really help you to project and improve your communication.”

She also met members of the school’s English department and media studies students. Head teacher John Mathews said: “We are extremely fortunate that Ms Kaplan found time in her hectic schedule to open our centre.

“She passed on invaluable tips to the boys who were thrilled to have an established actress giving them the benefit of her vast experience."

Ms Kaplan, whose son Mark is a former student at the school, embarks on the second leg of her UK tour of her acclaimed one-woman show entitled Just Pearl, featuring her sitcom character, later this year.