THE key to everything David Suchet does is his meticulous attention to detail and planning.

The actor, famous to audiences of over 70 million for his portrayal of Hercule Poirot, is currently engaged in studying his character Gregor in Man and Boy, a dark play by Terence Rattigan, last produced in 1963, to be seen at Malvern Theatres from Monday, October 25 to Saturday, October 30.

He is never interested in showy performances, only in trying to get the character right and in this complex play he is "trying to get it right" for Rattigan.

"I take seriously the task of becoming other people to serve my writer - that is my raison d'etre," he said.

"Rattigan was a great writer who wanted to be taken more seriously. Critics said in 1963 that it was his greatest play. Rattigan wrote it to be his greatest -- and it is an extraordinary play.

"In fact, this if the fourth time that I have been offered the role of Gregor.

"He is not what he seems; he is the devil himself and the devil can appear in charming disguises. Rattigan is pointing a finger at the amorality of love of money. It's very challenging for me."

The play, set in 1930s New York, confronts the relationship between father and son against a backdrop of love, betrayal and high finance.

Gregor, David's character, is a financier in trouble. The FBI is after him and his family are turning their backs on him and only his son refuses to leave.

"It would be very easy to go the obvious way in playing Gregor but I want to make him very real," David said.

"He is a very dangerous man but I like interesting characters and there are so many dimensions to him.

"Rattigan brought his own darkness to the play and a sense of betrayal."

While Poirot has kept David firmly in the public consciousness since 1989, his career began in repertory theatre then took him to the West End, to regional theatres and to the RSC.

But he said he is "extremely proud to be known for such a lovely character" and he receives much fan mail.

"I get letters from children as young as four or five and from people in their 90s.

"I'm thrilled to bits that the appeal has spanned the whole life of a human being."

David is now hoping that Man and Boy will be as exciting a project as Poirot has been.

When his run in Man and Boy comes to an end, David will be off to film four new Poirot films but after that he wants "more of everything".

"I would like to direct and make more movies. Above all, I love to play outsiders because they are so interesting. In fact, I'd like to play Napoleon," he said.

Now that, as Poirot would say, will get those little grey cells working.

Tickets for Man and Boy cost £16 to £24 and are available from the box office on 01684 892277 or www.malvern-theatres.co.uk

Humerous romp hits right spot

The Swan Theatre Amateur Company's latest dramatic production is a perennial favourite with theatre-going audiences, JB Priestley's When We Are Married.

The story follows three self-made Yorkshire couples, who have reconvened for their 25th wedding anniversaries.

A young southern dandy, Gerald Forbes (Tom Coxon-Stanhope), ruins their celebrations by revealing that the couples are not legally married.

The couples' preoccupation with good standing, and keeping up appearances leads to a farcical romp around Joseph Helliwell's (John Kershaw) large, austere town house.

With various characters dipping their oar in to the increasingly muddy waters, warring personalities and role reversals, the play is packed with one liners and crisp dialogue.

The cast offers some strong performances. Most notably the stingy-and-everyone-knows-it-but-him, councillor Albert Parker (Robert Hanna), and the hen-pecked Herbert Soppitt (Frank Welbourne) - as wet as his name suggests.

Deliciously confident

Mrs Northrop, played by Gabrielle Bullock, stirs the mess by revealing their bogus marriages. She is deliciously confident in her course of action, and was great to watch.

For me, the only problem was the play itself. Priestley had the opportunity to set councillor Parker's wife, Annie (Judith Holden), and Mr Soppitt free from their unhappy marriages.

He could have explored the limits of their characters, but instead creates a scene of genteel serenity, dislocating emotion from the situation.

As a light-hearted romp, though, its hits the spot perfectly.

n When We Are Married runs until Saturday, October 16, at the Swan Theatre, The Moors, Worcester.

Tickets cost £9.50, £8 conc. All performances start at 7.30pm

For more information ring Huntingdon Arts Box Office on 01905 611427.

A fair chance to win tickets

MEMBERS of a theatrical society are gearing up for a merry-go-round of colour, sparkle and energy as they prepare to bring their lavish production of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic, Carousel, to life on the stage at Malvern.

Set on America's New England coast, this tale of love, tragedy and hope contains some of the most popular songs of all musicals including You'll Never Walk Alone, If I Loved You, Mr Snow and June is Bustin' Out All Over.

It is the tale of an ill-fated romance between a womanising carousel barker and a sweet and pure mill worker on the Maine coast.

Carousel runs from Tuesday, October 19, to Saturday, October 23, at the Festival Theatre, Malvern, and tickets are available from the box office on 01684 892277.

n For the chance to win two tickets for the opening night just answer the following question:

Name the Carousel song that was adopted as an anthem by Liverpool Football Club?

Send your answer, along with your name, address and telephone number, to Becky Fisher, Worcester Evening News, Berrows House, Hylton Road, Worcester, WR2 5JX by Monday, October 18.