- J ones ▁dropped ▁out ▁of ▁school ▁without ▁obtain ing ▁O - level s ▁and ▁decided ▁to ▁live ▁in ▁London ▁to ▁purs ue ▁a ▁full - time ▁acting ▁career ; ▁she ▁was ▁also ▁engaged ▁to ▁perform ▁in ▁a ▁tour ing ▁production ▁of ▁The ▁P aj ama ▁Game . ▁Descri bing ▁her ▁te en age ▁years ▁in ▁London , ▁Z eta - J ones ▁said , ▁" I ▁would ▁queue ▁up ▁for ▁aud itions ▁and ▁then ▁change ▁my ▁cost ume ▁or ▁put ▁on ▁a ▁different ▁le ot ard ▁and ▁aud ition ▁again . ▁It ▁might ▁take ▁me ▁two ▁tries , ▁but ▁I ▁always ▁got ▁the ▁job . ▁I ▁figured ▁out ▁what ▁they ▁wanted ". ▁She ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁attend ▁the ▁independent ▁Arts ▁Edu c ational ▁School s ▁in ▁Ch is wick , ▁London , ▁for ▁a ▁three - year ▁course ▁in ▁musical ▁theatre . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 7 , ▁when ▁she ▁was ▁ 1 7 ▁years ▁old , ▁Z eta - J ones ▁was ▁picked ▁as ▁the ▁second ▁under stud y ▁to ▁the ▁lead ▁actress ▁in ▁a ▁West ▁End ▁production ▁of ▁ 4 2 nd ▁Street . ▁During ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁performances , ▁both ▁the ▁star ▁and ▁the ▁first ▁under stud y ▁were ▁un available , ▁and ▁Z eta - J ones ▁was ▁asked ▁to ▁play ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁Peg gy ▁S aw y era ▁ch orus ▁girl ▁who ▁becomes ▁a ▁star . ▁The ▁producer ▁was ▁im pressed ▁by ▁her ▁acting ▁ability ▁and ▁allowed ▁her ▁to ▁play ▁the ▁role ▁for ▁the