Aberystwyth actress Jane Stanness has a new project – starring alongside Friends star David Schwimmer.

Already well-known for her roles in Nighty Night and Hunderby, Jane – real name Jane Alison Sherman – stars alongside Schwimmer in new TV sitcom Intelligence.

Jane plays Mary Needham, a cryptanalyst – an expert code cracker – in the six-part series set in the UK Government Communications headquarters.

Described as ‘a workplace comedy series based in Cheltenham’, Schwimmer (best known for playing Ross Geller), takes on the role of Jerry who comes over from America to join the UK team.

Mary joined GCHQ over three decades ago but is only now starting to find her voice.

Long-suffering Mary balances her work at GCHQ by running the local Brownies group amid a hundred other selfless and thankless tasks, like looking after her belligerent mum.

She doesn’t sleep, rarely eats and is eternally single... for now.

Speaking about her new role, Jane told the Cambrian News: “I play a geeky cryptanalyst and maths wizard who works on the team at GCHQ alongside Joseph (Nick Mohammed) and Tuva (Gana Bayarsaikhan).

“Nick Mohammed wrote the part for me, for which I feel extremely fortunate I must say!

“It was an absolute joy to work with such a talented bunch of actors and with such a funny script.

“Everyone on it has extremely funny bones and there were many times when it was very hard to keep a straight face, to be fair there was quite a lot of laughing.

“Obviously it was an absolute honour to work with David Schwimmer! He’s brilliant!”

Born Jane Alison Sherman, the actress and musician is the daughter of physiotherapist Gordon Sherman and Pam Sherman.

Jane and her two brothers, triathlete Stuart Sherman and Olympic football coach Robert Sherman were all born and brought up in Aberystwyth, living first in Penparcau then later on in Elysian Grove.

She went to Ysgol Plascrug primary school and then Ardwyn grammar, doing her last year of A-levels at Penglais School, the year it was first built.

“I spent a few years in London then I moved back to Aberystwyth in 1980 and had my eldest daughter there in 1983,” said Jane.

“At that time I worked with the North Dyfed Dance Project under the direction of Cliff Lucas alongside dance practitioner Margaret Aimes, having trained in dance at Laban.”

As a teenager, Jane was part of the Wardens drama group and played the lead role of Sheila in An Inspector Calls at the age of 15.

“I also worked backstage at Theatr y Werin [at Aberystwyth Arts Centre] during my teens for as many productions as I possibly could, and spent one summer season operating the follow spot in the lighting booth for a play with Julie Walters, Bill Nighy, Pete Postlethwaite and Matthew Kelly.

Performing under the name Jane Stanness, the Aberystwythian has many credits to her name, including Simon Pegg and Nick Frost’s comedy horror film, Slaughterhouse Rulez.

For more from the music, arts and culture scene in your area, by a copy of the Cambrian News, on sale every Wednesday