KAREN Fishwick is regressing.

This year, the Glasgow-born actress has been part of the phenomenal stage musical Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour, playing a vodka-drinking 16 year-old schoolgirl on a wild day out.

But now Karen, who is 26 in real life, is set to drop 16 years.

Karen is currently starring in Hansel and Gretel, at the Citizens’ Theatre.

And she is delighted to be part of the magical story.

“It’s the tale of the children who live in the forest with the father and the manipulative stepmother.

“The children have lost their mother and their self-confidence. And their father seems a bit hopeless. But it’s also a story about their survival.”

Karen points out however the story has been taken on from the traditional tale and re-written by Stuart Paterson to make it highly relevant to modern times.

“You can recognise the characters,” she maintains, “but you can also see there is much about modern life in there as well.

“This is a story about families that break-up, about modern-day relationships that go wrong.”

Hansel and Gretel will resonate with the audience.

“When you break it down it’s a chilling story. The family can’t afford to feed their children and when you’re playing out this story on stage you remember there are foodbanks around the country.

“The world we create on stage is happening here and now in real life. And it’s pretty harrowing.”

Karen adds; “Later on we come across the Witch (played by Irene Allan) who just doesn’t care about what happens to people. And I can’t help but seeing this sort of character is so representative of politicians today.”

Yet, although the story reflects contemporary darkness, that’s not to say kids – or indeed parents – will leave the Citz depressed.

“There is a lot of humour in the show, which also keeps it really up to date. And we use the terms ‘mum’ and dad’. This isn’t a precious, fragile production. The whole thing is really quite robust.”

Karen’s Gretel stars alongside Shaun Miller as protective big brother Hansel.

The pair are a feisty couple, determined not to surrender to the darkness around them.

Sean is direct from starring in The Rivals at the Citz, achieving great acclaim for his performance. “Sean is brilliant,” says Karen.

But how does she bring her ten year-old self to the role?

“That’s a good question,” she says. “We do physical warm-ups in the morning and I go through the motions of being a ten year-old.

“There isn’t one exercise, but it’s about being playful and free and trying to get the emotions back you had as a ten year-old. I quite like that.

“And at that age you can say what you’re thinking, which at times may be a little cruel, but also can be quite enlightening.”

Karen was something of a shy schoolgirl, growing up in Clarkston.

Both her parents are musicians and growing up in a musical household so the schoolgirl spend a great deal of time in bands and orchestras.

In fact, the lady who plays more than a dozen instruments, had to choose between a career in music and acting.

She chose acting and studied at Motherwell College, and has gone on to appear on stage in the likes of Noel Cowards Present Laughter and panto Mother Goose.

In Our Ladies, Karen in fact played more men than women, revealing a real comedy bent.

Now, she’s playing a schoolgirl, caught up in a world of tension and drama, but certainly not deprived of comedy moments.

Perfect, in fact, for Ms Fishwick.

“I love it here,” she says of her stint at the Citz. “My great Aunt Angela used to take us to the theatre.

“I remember how I felt then as a little girl and it reminds me how the audience should feel now.

“This is a story in which good conquers evil. And that being the case, audiences can go away feeling great.”

• Hansel and Gretel, The Citizens’ Theatre, until January 7.