A teenager is so eager to make a splash she has changed her name to that of one of the UK's most famous acting dynasties.

Katie Salt, 16, has become Kate McGann in the hope it will give her an edge as she tries to break into the world's toughest profession.

Her decision to take her mother's maiden name seemed to pay off as she followed legends Lord Olivier, Richard Burton and Kevin Spacey on to the stage at the world-famous Old Vic Theatre.

Kate, of Broomfield Avenue, Telscombe Cliffs, near Newhaven, said: "I was a bit starstruck but now I'm sure acting is what I want to do.

"My mother's name was McGann and I prefer it to Salt. Because of the McGann brothers everyone knows how to pronounce it. It sounds a bit more famous than Salt."

Paul, Mark, Stephen and Joe make up the famous McGann acting clan.

Paul starred in Withnail And I and The Monocled Mutineer among others while Joe was in The Upper Hand.

They are the most successful although Stephen is also a household name thanks to his role as Sean Reynolds in Emmerdale.

Joe is a well-known face in Brighton, where he lived until recently.

Kate, a former pupil of St Mary's Hall, Brighton, took part in an intensive Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (Rada) course at the Old Vic and performed on the stage for friends and family.

The 5ft 10in teen is planning to go to Varndean College in Brighton to study performing arts and hopes to break into films or television.

Her grandmother, Vicki McGann, said: "Although Kate is probably no relation to the McGann brothers my father-in-law was from Liverpool, where they were also born, I think. Maybe acting runs in the family.

"She is right to use the name. In this business, every little thing helps.

"She always wanted to be an actress. She loved the Rada course and was so excited when she got to put her things in Laurence Olivier's former dressing room."