Arts Diary: Sarah's small part is a start; First steps at last towards a career before the cameras.

`THERE'S a bloke getting a bit frisky with a girl,'' explains SarahRickett. ``I play thegirl.''

Sarahcould not be happier as her acting career has begun to take off.

The Wavertree- based actress was describing her latest role in a Channel 4 film Pleasureland.

It is not, to behonest, the biggest part in the film but Sarah is delighted to be playing it.

Now aged 23, she has always wanted to bean actress. ``But at school, I was always the one who held an apple at the back. I was given really small parts.

``Watching television shows like Grange Hill I would be jealous of these young actors doing what I wanted to do.''

It was only when she left school that opportunities arose. She was in the Liverpool PlayhouseYouth Theatrefor a couple of months and did some weekend training at the Elliot Clarke School in Liverpool.

But she needed to earn a living and after working for an insurance company is currently in the recruitment business.

The desire to act remained. She signed up with some agencies but never got an audition.

``I needed to touch up my acting skills and joined drama company DSTM, training on a Saturday,'' she explains.

The Liverpoolbased DSTM had been founded by Brookside actors Dean Sullivan and Tina Malone, who gave their initials to the title as well as their considerable skills.

DSTM was soon to become an agency. ``I cancelled all my contracts with other agents and joined them,'' says Sarah.

The work has begun to flow in; slight, but interesting.

There was a stage show created by DSTM,extra work for Hollyoaks and the film DigitalJesus and an audition for a new cinema version of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe directed by Andrew Adamson, the director of Shrekfor Steven Spielberg's company DreamWorks. This British-filmed movie is his first live action film. Sarah,along with a handful of other hopefuls, has been called back for a second audition.

The Channel Four movie Pleasureland is being filmed in Southport and is the story of a young girl growing up ``and changing from a young girl into a teenager''. In the script, the girl sees Sarah (playing a 14-year-old) and a young lad ``getting it on'' on the train and decides that is what she wants to do.

It's a small role for Sarahbut a speaking part. ``So it's been great''.

Actress Tina Malone is pleased with the success of her students even if this is DSTM's early days. She is planning for it to become a production company as well, with a series of three short films aimed at cinemadistribution.

``I have written the first film, Reuben, Don't TakeYour Love to Town which is about a taxi driver and set in Liverpool.''

Tina is still continuing her acting career including a role in a new Granadamovie about Henry VIII. ``The thing now is that I don't have to do everything that is offered and can turn down the rubbish.''