PLAYING the father of a fractious six-year-old holds little challenge for David Haig, who stars in Life x 3 at Malvern Theatres next week.

The actor, best known for roles in The Thin Blue Line and Four Weddings and a Funeral, has five children, aged two to 16, of his own.

"With five kids, being hijacked for the evening by a child is very familiar territory," said David, who plays Henri in the new play from Yasmina Reza, the writer of the international hit Art.

It follows Henri and his wife Sonia, played by Belinda Lang (2 Point 4 Children) who, having got their child to bed, are settling in for a quiet night, when Henri's boss and wife turn up.

It transpires they've arrived a day early for a dinner party which Henri had planned to revive his flagging career. With nothing to eat in the house apart from Cheesy Wotsits and chocolate fingers, it looks set to be a disaster.

"I've done Art twice and I love her writing. It's funny, cruel, tragic, I love playing these characters at the end of their tether," David said.

David's first love is not film, TV or theatre, but writing. Two of his stage plays, My Boy Jack and The Good Samaritan, have been performed in London. He is currently working on a television adaptation of The Good Samaritan with Hartswood Films.

David's stay in Malvern will not be his first, having appeared at the theatre previously in Ben Elton's Gasping.

"I love Malvern, I love the theatre. It's a lovely town, you can just walk out of the theatre and onto the Malvern Hills. If you've got five kids it's quite nice!"

Life x 3 plays runs from Monday to Saturday at 8pm. Matinees are at 2.30pm, Wednesday and Saturday. Tic-kets start at £14, from 01684 892277.