FLAMBOYANT British actor Simon Callow CBE is no stranger to treading the boards in our county and is set to return to star in his very first Nol Coward play.

Present Laughter is a charming comedy in which Callow plays egotistical actor manager Gary Essendine - a character Coward admitted was close to being autobiographical.

Dressing-gowned and devastatingly handsome, Gary Essendine is teetering reluctantly towards middle-age but everyone is infatuated by him.

He is a master of sharp repartee, ruthless put-downs and spectacular tantrums and lives his life as a performance - he can never be himself.

The role of Essendine - who at one point in the play exclaims "Everybody worships me, it's nauseating" - is relished by Callow, who is famous for many stage appearances, roles in films including Four Weddings And A Funeral and The Phantom Of The Opera and as Charles Dickens in the new TV series of Dr Who.

He said: "Essendine is vain, prickly, energetic, amorous, jealous and brilliantly witty. He was, of course, based on Coward himself and it is really difficult trying to follow in his footsteps, so I try to resist being like him and create my own interpretation."

"It is such an excellent play to come and see, wildly funny and I am looking forward to it thoroughly."

He is also looking forward to returning to Malvern after performing in The Mystery of Charles Dickens in 2001 and Holy Terror in 2002.

He said: "I have been to Malvern many, many times, both as an actor and a director. I am very fond of the place. It is one of the nicest dates on any actor's tour. I find I can re-centre myself there - and there are two excellent bookshops!"

l Present Laughter is playing at Malvern Theatres from Monday, March 29, to Saturday, March 25.