WITH constant repeats of Britain's favourite sitcom Only Fools and Horses on our screens it is hard to believe that Nicholas Lyndhurst, who plays "plonker" Rodney, has actually been taking a break from acting for the past two years.

Instead, he has been at home playing his latest role - as dad to his first child.

But one look at Ronald Harwood's script for The Dresser, being directed by Sir Peter Hall, convinced him to get back on to the stage.

And the production - the first major revival of the play that was made into an award-winning film with Tom Courtenay and Albert Finney - will be coming to Malvern Theatres from Monday, January 24, to Saturday, January 29.

The year is 1941 and Hitler's bombs are falling on war-torn Britain.

But that does not stop "Sir" (Julian Glover) - a redoubtable actor-manager made of the same stuff as the great Sir Henry Irving - from touring the works of Shakespeare to theatres throughout England, under the most trying circumstances ever presented to a theatrical company.

Behind the scenes lurks his dresser (Nicholas Lyndhurst) - the omnipresent Norman, and the unsung hero of the piece.

While air raids continue, he conjures up the cosy security of the "bunker" backstage for the fading genius.

It is he who prepares the make-up table, mends the costumes, massages his ego, reminds him of his opening lines and provides the sound effects in the storm scene.

No actor-manager ever survived entirely from his own efforts and this loving nostalgic peep behind the scenes gives us a touching impression of the life of a man preparing for the greatest challenge for any actor - a performance of one of Shakespeare's greatest works, King Lear.

Inspired

Inspired by the memories of his years working as Donald Wolfitt's dresser, Ronald Harwood's evocative, perceptive and hilarious portrait of backstage life is one of the most acclaimed dramas of modern theatre.

Nicholas Lyndhurst, who is also famous for his roles in Butterflies, The Two of Us and Goodnight Sweetheart, stars alongside Julian Glover - one of the most distinguished actors of his generation.

His most acclaimed recent performance was, appropriately, as King Lear at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre.

He will be remembered by Malvern audiences for his performances last year in Man and Superman, Galileo's Daughter and Taking Sides alongside Neil Pearson.

Tickets cost £14 to £22 and are available from the box office on 01684 892277 or at www.malvern-theatres.co.uk