A special figure in playwright Joan Littlwood was immortalised in stone at Theatre Royal Stratford East earlier this month.

Among those to have welcomed the new statue was the theatre’s box office manager, Angela Frost.

The 38-year-old, from Church Street, Stratford has worked at the theatre for the last 23 years.

She said: “It was special for me as I’ve been here for a long time.

“I actually met Joan when she came back to the theatre to watch a show or two a while back.”

Angela’s daughter Alex Jarrett – newly elected as Newham’s Young Mayor just last week – was also chosen to unveil the statue, “which was special”, said Angela.

The mum-of-one began working at the theatre, in Gerry Raffles Square, aged just 15.

“I was ready to work and my parents told me ‘it’s time to go get a job’, so because I used to go to the theatre a lot when I was younger with the school, someone said why don’t you ask if they have any jobs,” she said.

“It’s a very special place, we get lots of regular staff and acts always coming back here to work and feel like there at home again. I mean for me I’m here more than my own home. I could not think of working anywhere else.”